Stockholm-listed EQT opened an Abu Dhabi office as part of a new Middle East investing platform, a win for the UAE capital’s “business as usual” pitch amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. The $390 billion investment firm has 10 staff in its new ADGM office covering deals and investor relations, and is targeting education, healthcare, and infrastructure investments in the region.
EQT sees opportunity in the succession wave sweeping Gulf family businesses, which, alongside government privatization drives, is creating investment targets, EQT Partner Jimmy Mahtani told Semafor. The firm’s portfolio companies EdgeConneX, a major US data center developer, and Nord Anglia, a schools group already present in the region, see potential for expansion in the region.
The move is another sign of the Gulf’s growing role in attracting global capital. BlackRock will divert up to $100 billion of its international capital deployment to the Middle East, Zawya reported. Some $2.1 trillion in spending is expected in the region by 2030, focused on infrastructure and energy to shore up economies after the Iran war, according to the asset manager.