GIP to open Qatar office in latest Middle East investment push by private equity
"We are excited by the prospects for the Middle East region, driven by strong economic growth, the expansion of the capital markets and the emergence of transparent regulatory frameworks," Chairman and CEO Bayo Ogunlesi said in a statement.
GIP, which specializes in infrastructure and manages more than $100 billion in assets, did not say when the office in Doha would open.
BlackRock-owned GIP is the latest private equity group to set up base in the Gulf as firms look to build teams on the ground and invest in local businesses in a region that had previously been where buyout groups went to raise money to invest in other markets.
Permira said last month it would open an office in Dubai, while New York-based General Atlantic opened an office in Abu Dhabi last year.
One of the world's largest LNG exporters, Qatar is one of several Gulf countries trying to diversify away from energy while attracting foreign investment, making the region increasingly attractive for Western firms.
Founded in 2006, GIP has a portfolio including Britain's Gatwick airport, the Port of Melbourne and major offshore wind projects.
BlackRock purchased GIP last year for $12.5 billion.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Campaign ME
3 hours ago
- Campaign ME
VRAcademi appoints Blitz PR for Middle East comms strategy
VRAcademi, a Dubai-based immersive education and innovation hub, has appointed Blitz PR as its official public relations partner for the Middle East region. As part of this partnership, Blitz PR will lead all regional communications efforts, helping to elevate VRAcademi's brand visibility, build media relations, and amplify the company's mission of making future-ready digital skills accessible to youth, professionals and educational institutions across the Middle East. 'We are thrilled to join hands with Blitz PR as we expand our footprint across the Middle East,' said Sonal Ahuja, Co-Founder, VRAcademi & Metaverse Lab. 'Their strong media network and proven experience in positioning emerging tech brands will be critical as we engage new partners, schools, and students in the region.' VRAcademi said its programs are already being used by students across the UAE. The hub further claims it has partnered with leading schools, universities, learning centers and even government initiatives like UAE AI to integrate advanced tech skills into curricula. With growing demand for creative and immersive tech education in the GCC, the company is now doubling down on its regional presence. 'We believe the Middle East is ripe for the kind of transformative, future-focused education we provide, and Blitz is the right partner to help us tell that story,' Ahuja said. Commenting on the partnership, Craig Michael, Managing Director, Blitz PR & Marketing said: 'We're excited to partner with VRAcademi on their journey in the Middle East.' 'In a region that is actively investing in digital transformation and youth empowerment, VRAcademi is bringing timely and relevant learning opportunities,' Michael added. 'Our goal is to amplify their vision and ensure their impact is seen, heard, and celebrated across the region.' The partnership comes at a time of growing interest in the metaverse, digital creativity, and future skills education across the UAE, KSA, and beyond.
Al Etihad
4 hours ago
- Al Etihad
85% of UAE retail investors back local stocks: eToro survey
19 Aug 2025 17:50 DUBAI (WAM) A whopping 85% of UAE-based retail investors are currently invested in local stocks, and many are buying even more in response to global trade tensions, based on the latest edition of the UAE Retail Investor Beat by trading and investing platform study, which surveyed 1,000 retail investors across the United Arab Emirates, revealed that UAE-based investors are strong supporters of their local market. 85% are currently invested in locally listed equities, with 39% of respondents holding Abu Dhabi stocks, 28% holding Dubai stocks, and 18% holding investments reflect their confidence in the UAE economy - 63% of investors stated they are 'very confident' in its current performance, and a further 29% indicated they are 'somewhat confident'. When it comes to the long-term performance of locally listed stocks, 59% expressed that they are 'very confident', with a further 32 % who are 'somewhat confident'.Looking ahead, 48% of investors forecast significant gains in the UAE stock market over the next 12 months, while 34% expect steady conviction is also evident in investors' long-term expectations. 58% believe that the Middle East will deliver the most substantial returns over the next five years, followed closely by the US (50%).When asked which UAE sectors evoke the most optimism for investments over the next 12 months, real estate topped the list at 55%, followed by technology (48%), financial services (37%), and energy (37%).Commenting on the findings, George Naddaf, Managing Director at eToro MENA, shared, 'The DFM and ADX are among the best-performing stock exchanges in the world this year, outperforming the S&P 500 by a considerable margin. Against this backdrop, our research confirms that investor confidence in the UAE market remains strong, supported by resilient performance across local indices, solid macroeconomic indicators, and sustained earnings across key sectors."Investors are favouring real estate, technology, financial services, and energy, as these sectors continue to benefit from government-backed initiatives. The fact that 85% are already invested in UAE equities reflects a clear preference for local opportunities in the current environment.'Despite strong confidence in their local market, geopolitical risk is firmly on the minds of investors: 90% say tariffs and trade wars will significantly impact their portfolios in the next six months, and 89% have already adjusted or plan to adjust their investments in the most common way investors are adjusting their portfolios in response to trade tensions is by increasing exposure to UAE equities (53%), a close second is increasing allocations to commodities (51%). This corresponds with respondents choosing gold or precious metals as the most resilient type of asset in a volatile trade environment (49%). Crypto (45%) was the second-most popular option, and it is already the most held asset class among UAE investors, currently with 54% Naddaf added, 'With 90% of investors anticipating an impact from tariffs and trade wars, and 89% adjusting their portfolios accordingly, UAE investors show an impressive level of adaptability. Besides local stocks, many are reallocating towards commodities such as gold and oil, which are viewed as reliable hedges against external volatility. This suggests a disciplined, dual-track approach: reinforcing exposure to domestic markets that are shielded from the impact of tariffs, while managing risk through defensive asset classes.' Uncertainty is not deterring investors from continuing to seek opportunities in the market. 65% of UAE retail investors have already increased contributions to their investment portfolios over the previous months, and 76% expect to increase contributions over the next three months. Stock Markets Continue full coverage
Zawya
5 hours ago
- Zawya
What South Africa can learn from failed rent control policies worldwide?
Soaring monthly rentals in the Western Cape have made housing unaffordable for many tenants, forcing them to move elsewhere. This is according to nearly 80% of rental agents in PayProp's 2025 State of the Rental Industry report. It's not uncommon for a modest apartment in Green Point to be advertised at a monthly rental of R22,000, while a small unit in Durbanville might go for R16,000 despite needing repairs and having an 'ugly kitchen' with broken appliances. Many people have drawn attention to the price-quality mismatch, noting that similar or better homes in Joburg cost far less. 'Even more concerning, the vast majority of South African households (80%) are priced out of the formal housing market because their monthly income is under R26,000,' says Renier Kriek, managing director of innovative home finance business Sentinel Homes. 'We have an undersupply of about three million formal housing units.' Living in Cape Town is particularly pricey, with average property sale prices increasing from R1.6m in 2020 to R2.1m in 2025. In contrast, Johannesburg's prices have remained relatively flat over this period, staying on average between R1m and R1.5m, according to property analytics firm Lightstone. Soaring rent 'Obviously the higher capital values mean that people who buy for investment require a higher nominal return, which means the rents go up,' says Kriek. This has been happening in the Western Cape, where the PayProp Rental Index shows 9.6% year-on-year rental growth and average monthly rents reaching R11,285 in Q1/2025 – significantly higher than Gauteng (R9,201), KwaZulu-Natal (R9,170) and the Eastern Cape (R7,330). Rent control Calls for rent control in Cape Town are getting louder. The idea is to cap rent increases to make housing more affordable. However, this may win populist votes and provide short-term relief for tenants, but won't fix the housing shortfall, says Kriek, pointing to unsuccessful rent control in cities like New York, Berlin, Stockholm or Tokyo. While rent control impacts the entire property market, it ironically hits hardest in the low-income band – those who should benefit the most. 'Rent control leads to underinvestment and poorly maintained units as landlords have limited incentives to maintain or expand their rental stocks because their profits are capped,' says Kriek. Another problem is misallocation, where some tenants will stay in rent-controlled units even when these no longer match their needs. By blocking the units for people who genuinely need them, they create an inefficient housing distribution that worsens the undersupply further. 'Rent control is the most efficient technique currently known to destroy a city - short of bombing," says Kriek. Making small units profitable There's ample private-sector money available to invest in rental housing, says Kriek but government needs to change the market design that makes this segment unprofitable. Small units are more expensive per square metre to build – and sell – than larger ones. In addition, he says, tenants in affordable units (sub-R7,000 rent/month) are more frequently in rent arrears than higher-income tenants as they feel economic pressure harder. The number of 'squatting' tenants (who haven't paid rent for three consecutive months and are still occupying the property in the fourth month) is also increasing: the TPN Squat Index rose from 3.48% in Q4/2023 to 3.71% in Q2/2024. Legal protection of landlords The balance of power is unduly tipped against landlords and needs to be levelled, says Kriek. 'The law that governs evictions, the Prevention of Illegal Eviction and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act (PAI), isn't fit for purpose. "It was designed to evict land squatters but due to poor drafting it also applies to the eviction of tenants who don't pay their rent or refuse to move out when legally required. This makes the process unnecessarily expensive, time-consuming and open to exploitation. 'Historically, eviction is a sensitive topic in SA,' concludes Kriek. 'But if we don't allow strict enforcement of payment obligations, then landlords won't invest in rental housing, which is the easiest and the quickest way, using the least amount of government resources, to fix our housing undersupply.' All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
