MENA
Citi hires Abraaj executive to steer Pakistan business
Abraaj Capital’s Nadeem Lodhi has been appointed as head of Citigroup’s operations in Pakistan. Lodhi was previously a principal at Dubai-based Abraaj, taking responsibility for the firm’s sub-Saharan Africa business.
Mubadala posts $1.1b loss due to volatile markets
Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund that counts The Carlyle Group among its investments, announced a loss of AED4.2 billion ($1.14 billion) in 2011, up significantly on the AED338 million deficit posted a year earlier, due to volatile global...
Abraaj Capital buys Aureos to boost emerging markets exposure
Abraaj Capital has acquired Aureos Capital, creating an entity with approximately $7.5 billion in assets under management and 150 investment professionals across 30 countries. The purchase enables Dubai-headquartered Abraaj, which focuses on the Middle...
Masdar to invest in Chinese fuel cells and water treatment
Masdar Capital, the private equity arm of renewable energy firm Masdar, is said to be looking for opportunities to invest in the fuel cells and water treatment spaces in China.
Kerogen backs sub-Saharan energy player
To the uninitiated, oil and gas assets in Congo-Brazzaville and Kurdistan might seem too risky for private equity. Energy-focused investor Kerogen Capital, however, takes a different view. The Hong Kong-based firm invested $125 million to become the largest...
Kerogen Capital invests $125m in emerging markets oil firm
Hong Kong-based Kerogen Capital has committed $125 million to NewAge (African Global Energy), becoming the largest shareholder in the company. The investment will be made in three tranches, with Kerogen also having the right to co-investment alongside...
Citadel Capital seeks capital from Chinese LPs
Middle Eastern private equity firm Citadel Capital is seeking to raise capital in China and is in talks with a Beijing-based sovereign wealth fund, according to Stephen Murphy, the firm’s managing director responsible for institutional fundraising.
CIC buys 25% stake in South Africa’s Shanduka Group
China Investment Corp. (CIC) has paid ZAR2 billion ($245 million) for a 25% stake in South African company Shanduka Group. The sovereign wealth fund will acquire shares from exiting investors Old Mutual Private Equity and Investec.
Neuberger Berman raises $720m
Investment management firm Neuberger Berman Group has raised $720 million for its private equity fund-of-funds, NB Crossroads 2010.
Abraaj Capital targets Southeast Asian natural resources
Abraaj Capital plans to invest part of its latest $2 billion fund in Southeast Asian natural resources, with a particular focus on copper and tin mines in Indonesia as well as ancillary services tied to mining or agriculture.
Malaysia's Khazanah in running for Turkish hospital owner
Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional is reportedly negotiating for a stake in Acibadem, the Turkish hospital group 92%-owned by Almond Holding AS. Almond is a joint venture between Abraaj Capital and Turkey’s Aydinlar family.
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority to boost PE exposure
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) is scaling up its private equity activities with a view to doubling its headcount in this area, The Al Arabiya News reported, citing sources familiar with the situation. The sovereign wealth fund currently has...
Infinity establishes RMB and USD funds in Chongqing
Infinity Group, an Israel-based privat equity firm created by China Development Bank and Israeli conglomerate IDB Group, has announced the establishment of the Chongqing arm in cooperation with the government of Chongqing's Banan district.
Infinity-backed fund invests in China's Asymchem Laboratories
An Infinity Group-backed fund that targets the biomedical industry has committed RMB90 million ($14 million) to a RMB250 million round of financing launched by Tianjin-based Asymchem Laboratories.
HNA targets global transport platform
Chinese Transportation conglomerate HNA Group, with its private equity partner Bravia Capital, last week completed back-to-back investments intended to strengthen its presence both in China and abroad – acquiring leading global container leasing business...
Islamic finance: From Middle East to Far East
Islamic private equity is gaining popularity, but the number of shari’ah-compliant funds is rising slowly. Are Asia Pacific’s GPs really losing out?
Pegatron, Mitsui invest in Israel's Valens Semiconductor
Taiwan-based Pegatron and Japan's Mitsui & Co. Global Investment have participated in a $14 million Series B financing round for Israeli firm Valens Semiconductor.
KKR gets green light for Saudi Arabia operation
KKR has been awarded a license to operate in Saudi Arabia. The private equity firm sees considerable fundraising potential in the country in addition to investment opportunities across the region.
Carlyle’s diversifies its business ahead of IPO
The carlyle Group's purchase of a 55% stake in Emerging Sovereign Group (ESG) is its second acquisition in the asset management space within seven months and a clear indication of how the private equity wants to develop its business.
Samena Capital launches $700m special situations fund
Samena Capital has launched its second special situations fund with a target of $700 million. The company – whose name derives from the regions in which it invests: subcontinent, Asia, Middle East and North Africa – has already received commitments...
Invest AD to seal first Turkey deal within four months
State-owned Abu Dhabi investment vehicle Invest AD is looking to buy Turkish companies focused on pharmaceuticals, food, consumer goods and industrial manufacturing. Samir Assaad, head of the company’s private equity unit, told Bloomberg that the first...
Japan’s SBI, Abu Dhabi-based Invest AD launch Turkey-focused PE fund
Japanese financial conglomerate SBI Holdings and Abu Dhabi state-owned Invest AD will invest $100 million in a new private equity vehicle targeting companies in Turkey.
KFH launches Islamic fund
KFH Asset Management, a subsidiary of Kuwait Finance House, an Islamic bank based in Kuala Lumpur, will launch a $300 million fund by the end of 2012, according to Reuters. The fund plans to raise capital from Gulf investors, and will also seek money...
Mubadala ups stake in Carlyle by $500m
Mubadala Development Co, an Abu Dhabi government-backed firm, has announced it will raise its 7.5% stake in The Carlyle Group by $500 million, receiving an undisclosed number of equity shares and convertible subordinated notes in the US-based private...