Gulf Partners Group to launch as management-led private markets investment firm

Gulf Partners Group (GPG) has announced its launch as a management-led private markets investment firm, founded and led by three GCC-based partners with more than 70 years of combined experience in alternative investments.

Headquartered in Bahrain, with plans to expand across the GCC subject to regulatory approvals, GPG will focus on the middle-market segment. The firm intends to pursue deal-by-deal investments across private equity, private credit, real estate special situations, and selective growth opportunities.

GPG is anchored by Arzan Financial Group (AFG), a regionally established financial institution listed on Boursa Kuwait, which will serve as the firm’s cornerstone shareholder. Through this role, AFG will provide governance oversight, operational infrastructure, and balance-sheet support. The partnership underpins a long-term investment objective to deploy up to US$2.5 billion over the next five years.

The founding management team comprises Mohammed Alqahtany and Yousif Al-Abdulla as Co-Chief Executive Officers, and Waleed Abdulaziz as Chief Investment Officer. The team brings extensive experience from a leading alternative asset management platform, where they were responsible for building private equity operations in the MENA region, scaling real estate investments, and launching investment products that attracted sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors, and family offices across the Gulf.

Talal Al-Bahar, Chairman of Arzan Financial Group, said the group’s role as anchor investor reflects its commitment to supporting platforms with strong governance and regional expertise. He noted that GPG is positioned to contribute meaningfully to the continued development of private markets across the GCC.

Mohammed Alqahtany, Founding Partner and Co-CEO of GPG, highlighted the strategic importance of AFG’s backing, describing it as a vote of confidence in the founding team. He added that economic diversification across the Gulf is creating unprecedented opportunities and reinforcing the region’s position as a global private markets hub.

Yousif Al-Abdulla, Founding Partner and Co-CEO, said GPG’s investment approach is designed to deliver balanced private markets exposure in the GCC, complemented by select global opportunities. He noted that the firm’s strategy combines growth-oriented private equity, yield-focused private credit, and diversified real estate investments to provide a differentiated portfolio for investors.

GPG aims to serve ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, regional institutions, corporates, pension funds, and sovereign wealth funds seeking tailored access to private markets opportunities that balance return, risk, and liquidity.

The firm currently operates through licensed affiliates and is in the process of obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals in its target jurisdictions.