Today's Edition
A.SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)
Partners Group, a Switzerland-based investment firm and one of the world’s largest players in the private markets industry, has expanded its regional footprint with the launch of a new regional headquarters in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the UAE capital’s international financial centre.
In a statement on Tuesday, the firm, which manages over $150 billion in assets and has invested more than $234 billion since its founding in 1996, described Abu Dhabi as a rising global hub for innovation in technology, energy, manufacturing, and digital services.
“Abu Dhabi is increasingly becoming a centre of gravity for global advancements in technology, energy, next-generation manufacturing, and digital services,” said Steffen Meister, Executive Chairman of the Board at Partners Group. “From our new regional headquarters, we look forward to partnering with institutions to capitalise on the many opportunities arising from the upcoming technology-led transformation of industries, often with a nexus to the region.”
The Abu Dhabi office—located at Al Maryah Tower in ADGM Square—will be led by Suhail Albaz, Chairman for the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia. He stressed the strategic importance of the Middle East, especially the GCC, as a growth region for the firm. “We are actively pursuing the growing opportunities for transformational investing offered to our portfolio of businesses and assets by establishing themselves in the Middle East,” he said.
Welcoming the expansion, Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of ADGM, said: “We are delighted to welcome Partners Group, one of the largest and most respected firms in the global private markets industry to ADGM. We look forward to their valuable contribution to the vibrant and diverse financial community within Abu Dhabi.”
Partners Group has been active in the Middle East since 2010, when it opened an office in Dubai. Its portfolio companies today employ over 2,000 people across the region. A notable example is International School Partnerships, which was founded by the firm in 2013 and recently acquired its tenth school in the Middle East.
With more than 800 institutional clients and 200 million client beneficiaries globally, the firm continues to serve a broad base, including sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, insurers, and high-net-worth individuals. In the Middle East, its institutional client relationships are led by Nael Antaki, while Venugopal Reddy oversees the firm’s private wealth business in the region.
This latest move brings the company’s global network to 22 offices, reinforcing its long-term commitment to private markets and the Middle East’s investment landscape.
