Sharjah-based developer Arada has launched a new investment platform that aims to manage $5 billion in assets within four years as it seeks to channel institutional capital into property opportunities across the Gulf.
The new funds management platform, Arada Capital, will be based in Abu Dhabi’s ADGM and is designed to develop and manage institutional-grade investment opportunities across property asset classes in the Middle East, with plans to expand into infrastructure and other private market investments, the company said on Monday.
Arada Capital has received in-principle approval from ADGM’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority and is seeking final regulatory approval to operate as a fund manager. Once licensed, the platform will allow institutional and qualified investors to invest directly in Arada’s development pipeline as well as wider Gulf property opportunities.
The launch comes as Gulf property market continues to attract global institutional capital amid strong economic growth, population expansion and government-backed investment programmes across the region.
Arada Capital will be chaired by Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal, executive vice-chairman of Arada, and governed by an independent board.
“Arada has spent nearly a decade building one of the most complete and vertically integrated real estate platforms in the world, and Arada Capital now allows institutional investors to be part of that story directly, gaining access to deal flow, expertise and governance that would be difficult to replicate elsewhere,” Prince Khaled said.
The company has appointed Moustafa Fahour as chief executive and managing director of Arada Capital.
Mr Fahour has more than 20 years of experience in banking, infrastructure investment and asset management, having held senior positions at UBS, Citigroup, Macquarie Group and CIMIC Group.
Most recently, he served as chief operating officer of Plenary Middle East, where he led the delivery of major public-private partnership projects, including the UAE’s first education-social-infrastructure PPP programme. He will continue to advise Plenary Middle East in a strategic capacity.
As chief executive, Mr Fahour will oversee the establishment of the platform and the launch of investment vehicles initially focused on Gulf real estate before expanding into infrastructure and broader private market strategies.
“Arada Capital presents a unique opportunity to build a differentiated investment platform from the region, for the region, while attracting institutional partnerships into high-quality opportunities across real estate, infrastructure, and alternative investments,” Mr Fahour said.
The platform will launch with an initial pipeline of investments linked to Arada’s existing developments and strategic partnerships, with plans to expand across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other regional markets. Arada said further details on the fund structure and investment strategy will be announced at a later date.
Founded in 2017, Arada has launched 11 projects in the UAE and has since expanded into the UK and Australia. The company says it has a development pipeline worth Dh130 billion ($35.4 billion) across the three markets, comprising about 55,000 homes.