Al Mal Capital launches two private equity funds

 

Al Mal Capital, a UAE Central Bank-regulated investment company, on Sunday launched two private equity funds – Al Mal Capital Partners Fund and the Shariah-compliant Al Fares Private Equity Fund. The two funds will operate side-by-side, searching out opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa region, and provide investors access to stakes in founder shares, pre-IPO and late stage investments in prominent companies preparing for public entry, the company said in a statement.

With an initial subscription period from January until late-February, the funds intend to raise a committed capital of Dh350 million. 

Al Mal Capital will be responsible for due diligence, investment selection, ongoing management of the portfolio assets and overall portfolio risk management as fund manager, a role undertaken in these funds by its in-house private equity team. An investment advisory committee comprising senior Al Mal Capital executives will provide guidance to the funds. Al Mal intends to seed the funds with Dh35m of its own capital, to participate alongside investors.

“We have a private equity management team with a depth of experience, that have been identifying, qualifying and investing in private equity opportunities for many years, through market conditions of all types,” said Naser Nabulsi (pictured above), Executive Chairman of Al Mal Capital. “Together with an Investment Advisory Committee which channels our management expertise, a founder base of leading institutions and prominent business families, we have unrivalled local and regional access and resources to call on.”

Blair Look, managing director of asset management at Al Mal Capital, said: “We feel investors will appreciate our value proposition. Al Mal Capital and our team will unearth and provide access to attractive investment ideas, and work to develop a clear exit for the portfolio of investments. We have extensive experience in direct private equity investing and in the alternative investment space that we plan to put to work in the programme.

“Our managed funds and direct investments in public and private equity have shown tremendous results in 2006 and 2007, and we expect this success to continue in this new range of offerings.” Al Mal Capital is a full service investment institution, with investment banking, brokerage and asset management. The company has fully paid-up capital of Dh333m.

The funds

Dh350m - is the committed capital the funds intend to raise with the initial subscription period running from January until late-February. They will target a return in excess of 20 per cent over a five-year term