Moderation in valuations to trigger PE opportunities in the GCC

Dubai: The private equity industry in the Middle East is expected to face challenging conditions in terms of fund raising and exits, yet the current economic environment is expected to offer a number of attractive deal-making opportunities for liquid players, Qais Al Maskati, Managing Director and CEO of First Equity Partner (FEP) told Gulf News in an interview.

“Fund raising will be a challenge for private equity industry as many investors will want to reposition their portfolios in the context of the changing economic environment and liquidity situation. I expect in terms of portfolio management, lesser investor allocation to private equity. Investors will be tempted to park more money with yield generating investment options such as real estate and fixed income,” Al Maskati said.

http://gulfnews.com/business/sectors/banking/moderation-in-valuations-to-trigger-pe-opportunities-in-the-gcc-1.1620270

Dubai Investments invests 26.75 per cent in King’s College Hospital & clinics in Dubai

ubai Investments is contributing 26.75 per cent of the total equity financing for the project. The total project cost, including debt financing, is estimated to be approximately $200 million.

The 80-100 bed world-class hospital and day care clinics in Dubai will be fully integrated with King’s College Hospital’s facilities in London. The clinics will be opened at prime locations in Dubai towards the end of 2016 and in 2017 while the multi-specialty King’s College Hospital at ‘Dubai Hills’ will become operational in 2018.

http://www.cpifinancial.net/news/post/33552/dubai-investments-invests-26-75-per-cent-in-kings-college-hospital-clinics-in-dubai

EFG Hermes’ MENA long-term value fund makes third private investment

Headquartered in Cairo, Fawry provides users with a secure electronic bill payment services solution, connecting consumers, merchants, governments and financial institutions on a consolidated gateway that is accessible through multiple channels, including point-of-sale machines, ATMs, post offices, online and through mobile wallets.

MENA LTV is a partnership between Wellcome Trust and EFG Hermes, with the latter acting as the Fund’s dedicated investment manager. The Fund, which currently has assets under management of $450 million, has a mandate to invest in public and private long-term opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

This transaction is MENA LTV’s third high-profile private investment in Egypt in as many years.

http://www.cpifinancial.net/news/post/33597/efg-hermes-mena-long-term-value-fund-makes-third-private-investment

Bahrain's Investcorp says buys unit of SSARIS Advisors

Bahrain's Investcorp Bank on Monday said it has bought the Hedge Fund of Funds business unit of the United States' SSARIS Advisors for an undisclosed amount.

The acquisition seems part of the Bahraini firm's aim to more than double its assets under management within seven years.

The unit has about $800 million in advisory and discretionary assets, Investcorp said in a statement. Four senior employees from the unit will join Investcorp's New York office.

Read more at Reutershttp://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/09/investcorp-bank-ma-idUSL8N1340KD20151109#1cYLJOxmJ3vHGKFa.99

The Story Behind Abraaj Group's Stunning Rise In Global Private Equity

“We have taken the risk out of investing in what the West mistakenly calls ‘emerging markets,’ ” he says in elegant, Pakistani-accented English from a Madison Avenue outpost. “ They’re growth markets,” he insists.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/elizabethmacbride/2015/11/04/the-story-behind-abraajs-stunning-rise/

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority Plans to Close London Office

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the world’s second largest wealth fund, is planning to close its office in London.

The decision won’t impact the fund’s investments and commitment to the U.K., a spokesman for the fund said in e-mailed comments Monday.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-09/abu-dhabi-investment-authority-proposes-to-close-london-office

Bahrain's GFH to acquire $125m US industrial real estate portfolio

Bahrain-based Islamic investment banking firm GFH Financial Group has agreed to acquire an industrial real estate portfolio in the United States in a deal worth $125 million.

The group's GFH Capital unit said in a statement on Saturday that the portfolio will include 18 income-producing assets across six states, including single-tenant and multi-tenant properties with an overall occupancy rate of 98 percent.

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/bahrain-s-gfh-acquire-125m-us-industrial-real-estate-portfolio-609129.html?ref=nnm#.ViM5iuyqqkp