In an attempt to expand its investment product portfolio to a part of the world underrepresented in the sphere of global investments, Franklin Templeton Investments is launching a new fund focused on the Middle East and North Africa.

The new fund, called the Franklin MENA Fund, will launch on Nov. 17.

“The fund is a vehicle to take advantage of the opportunities we see right now in the Middle East and North Africa,” said Joe Kawkabani, managing director of asset management at Dubai-based Algebra Capital, which is managing the fund. Algebra Capital is 25% owned by Franklin Templeton.

Kawkabani said while the market cap of the MENA region is comparable to that of India, there are far fewer funds and investments that offer exposure to the MENA region.

“It’s really misrepresented globally,” Kawkabani said.

Initially, the fund will focus on three main areas of investment: infrastructure, domestic consumer plays and chemicals — particularly fertilizers.

“The Middle East and especially the [Persian] Gulf is the cheapest producer of fertilizers in the world, and that gives us a global competitive advantage,” Kawkabani said.

He also emphasized that infrastructure has very strong potential given the rapid growth in the region.

“Infrastructure spending in MENA is huge, and obviously all those projects are government-sponsored, and they will continue,” Kawkabani said. “Companies exposed to that sector will benefit a lot from the government spending and will grow next year.”

The fund launches at a strategic time, since the global market downturn has provided attractive valuations, according to Kawkabani. In addition, he believes MENA countries will be less impacted by the global financial crisis than the rest of the world going forward.

“The banking system is stable, we’re not as leveraged as other economies, we don’t have as much toxic assets and exposure to these things,” he said.

Furthermore, a global recession will impact the region less than most other emerging markets, Kawkabani said.

“One of the very few areas where, as an equity investor, you can still find good growth is in MENA.”

Still, investing in the region involves the same risks as investing in any emerging economy, Kawkabani warned. He said the fund targets investors seeking long-term investments, as the company will be continuously watching long-term economic and sector trends in the MENA region and adjusting the fund appropriately.

The Franklin MENA Fund will launch on the same day as a similar fund from Mackenzie Financial Corp., the Mackenzie Universal Africa & Middle East Class.