based Securities & Investment Company (SICO) announced Wednesday the retirement of Sheikh Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa from the bank's board of directors. He has been a director since 1996, and chairman of the board from 1999. Sheikh Mohammed represented Social Insurance Organisation (SIO) on SICO's board and with his new assignment as Batelco Group CEO, he will be replaced by another member of the SIO. The Board of Directors paid tribute to his invaluable contribution to the development of SICO over the past 15 years, during which time it has emerged as one of the GCC's premier investment banks. As Chairman, he has been an instrumental force behind the call for the diversification of the firm's activities from a domestic-based brokerage house to a regional provider of specialist investment banking solutions. __