Saudi private equity Jadwa Investment Co. has raised USD 266 million (SAR one billion) for its new investment fund, dubbed the “GCC Private Equity Fund 1.”
The fund aims to boost deal-making activity, reflecting the “growing interest” in investment instruments focused on the Middle East.
Details
The regional investment management and advisory leader noted that the funding came from entities connected to regional sovereign wealth funds and family offices.
Jadwa aims to increase the size of its first blind pool fund to as much as SAR 2 billion by the first half of 2025.
So what
The Middle East has seen significant growth in fundraising for private equity firms over the past year.
Industry giants like “BlackRock” and “Brookfield Asset Management” have launched funds focusing on the region.
General Atlantic has also opened an office in Riyadh to explore investment deals.
Some context
Jadwa, one of the leading alternative asset management companies in Saudi Arabia, offers a wide range of Sharia-compliant investment options.
According to its website, the firm manages and advises assets worth more than SAR 90 billion.
Its client base includes government entities, local and global investment institutions, leading family businesses, and high-net-worth individuals.
The company is based in Riyadh and has three regional offices.
Now what
Jadwa said that its fund is among the largest blind-pool regional private equity funds and is regulated by the Capital Market Authority.
It will focus on investing in a diverse range of promising opportunities in private equity across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The company added that the fund has completed its first three investments in the retail and food & beverage sectors.
The full deployment of the fund’s capital is expected to be completed over three years.
Elie El-Khoury, Head of Private Equity at “Jadwa Investment,” explained that the fund’s structure allows clients to invest in a balanced and diversified manner.
It also provides the necessary flexibility to act quickly and complete deals smoothly.
El-Khoury also mentioned that the first close of the “GCC Private Equity Fund 1” relied on Jadwa’s strong track record, which includes 16 single-asset private equity funds since the company’s establishment in 2007.
