MUMBAI: Thomson Reuters, a financial news provider, has acquired Zawya Limited, a regional provider of business intelligence and unique tools for financial professionals in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

This investment marks Thomson Reuters‘ second acquisition in 2012 across the MENA region and further underscores the organisation‘s commitment to connecting and enabling the local financial community with leading edge information and tools.

Zawya, a privately owned company, is a leading online business intelligence platform. The firm enables professionals to find and connect to the right business and investment opportunities in the MENA region.

The firm‘s wide range of specialised content and tools include detailed profiles on the top companies in the MENA region, live news, comprehensive industry and asset class research, as well as an exclusive online network for professionals focusing on the region.

"Zawya has built a strong brand and impressive offering in MENA, and this acquisition builds on our commitment to this region which dates back to 1856 starting with news and expanding to comprehensive news and data coverage. We offer deep and broad coverage of MENA markets across a wide spectrum of content sets and data types," Thomson Reuters Middle East, Africa and Russia MD Basil Moftah said.

"By joining forces, Thomson Reuters, Zawya‘s clients, and the market will benefit from a unique offering. This synergy will result in an improved and diversified line of services across the MENA markets for a broader group of users."