Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. plans to open an office in Dubai to serve clients in the Middle East, the independent full-service brokerage firm announced Thursday.

The firm (TSX:CF) says it plans to build an investment banking and advisory practice to serve its existing relationships in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region. Sachin Mahajan, managing director, mergers and acquisitions, will heading up the office, which is expected to be up and running in the second quarter.

“This important initiative reinforces our commitment to our clients in the MENASA region who will continue to benefit from the strengths of our global platform with the added benefit of local expertise, said Paul Reynolds, president and CEO of Canaccord Genuity.

“Additionally, the move enhances our global distribution capabilities to a concentration of investors with increasing demand for exposure to global midmarket investment opportunities,” he added.

Mahajan has a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from Delhi University, and an MBA from Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario.