KKR announces Middle East Gulf Data Hub investment, Petraeus as regional chairman
Global investment firm KKR announced a major expansion in the Middle East, appointing General David Petraeus as Chairman of KKR Middle East and forming a dedicated regional investment team led by Managing Director Julian Barratt-Due.
The move builds on KKR's 16-year-long presence in the region and reflects its growing commitment to the Gulf markets.
Monday's announcement came as KKR has reinforced its client engagement team in the region, with senior executives now based in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Previous regional investments include a strategic partnership with ADNOC in 2019 and acquisition of aircraft from Etihad Airways in 2020.
The regional investment team, led by Barratt-Due, will focus on GCC countries like UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. The move indicates a long-term commitment and localization of investment expertise.
KKR plans to invest in Gulf Data Hub, a major independent data center platform in the Middle East with an owned portfolio of seven purpose-built and state-of-the art data centers in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and additional facilities planned in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain.
KKR leadership emphasized the Middle East's strategic importance as 'an important investment destination' driven by structural reforms, favorable demographics, economic diversification and a growing appetite for long-term investment partnerships.
'The Middle East is emerging as a leading investment powerhouse with a clear vision, impressive innovation, strong fiscal position, and increasingly partnership- orientated private sector and governments,' Chairman Petraeus said in a statement released by KKR.
'It will be a pleasure to be spending considerable time in the Middle East, and to help build on regional momentum and contribute to its growing global presence.'
Petraeus is a retired US army general and former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), widely recognized for his deep expertise in Middle Eastern affairs and global security.
His appointment as Chairman of KKR Middle East reflects both his long-standing engagement in the region and his ability to build high-level partnerships that align with the region's strategic and economic ambitions.
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