logo
Gulf Capital Successfully Exits ART Fertility Clinics' Middle East Operations Selling Its Stake to IVI-RMA Global, World Leader in Fertility and Assisted Reproduction

Gulf Capital Successfully Exits ART Fertility Clinics' Middle East Operations Selling Its Stake to IVI-RMA Global, World Leader in Fertility and Assisted Reproduction

Al Bawaba30-07-2025
Gulf Capital, one of the largest private equity firms investing from the GCC to the rest of Asia, announced today that it has sold its majority stake in ART Fertility Clinics' Middle East operations to IVI-RMA Global, the world's largest assisted reproduction group. The transaction is expected to generate a significant return on invested capital, making it one of Gulf Capital's most successful exits to date.Since its acquisition in 2020, ART Fertility Clinics has undergone a period of significant growth and transformation. Under Gulf Capital's ownership, ART expanded from a UAE-focused business into a regional fertility platform with 15 clinics, including 3 in the UAE, 1 in Saudi, and 11 in India. The scope of the transaction includes the clinics located in UAE and Saudi Arabia, while the India operation will remain under the ownership of Gulf Capital. In the Middle East alone, ART Fertility Clinics has delivered substantial revenue and EBITDA growth since 2020, with profitability quadrupling over the last five years. This strong financial performance has been underpinned by ART's reputation for clinical excellence, rapid regional expansion and some of the highest success rates in IVF treatments across the region.Dr. Karim El Solh, Co-Founder and CEO of Gulf Capital, commented: 'We are proud of the transformation we achieved at ART Fertility, scaling the platform from a single-country operator to the regional leader in reproductive medicine. Under Gulf Capital's ownership, ART Fertility invested heavily in science and research with 220 medical publications to date and launched a pioneering genetic testing lab in Abu Dhabi, leading to some of the highest IVF fertility success rates globally. ART Fertility's expansion and financial performance underline Gulf Capital's deep focus on operational improvements and growth. Following a competitive auction, the successful sale of the company to a global strategic buyer highlights Gulf Capital's ability to source, grow and exit healthcare platforms at very attractive multiples.'Suresh Soni, CEO of ART Fertility Clinics, said: 'ART Fertility has built a strong reputation for clinical excellence and world-class patient outcomes. Our success has been driven by our scientific rigor, a world-renowned medical team led by Prof. Dr Human Fatemi, and a deep commitment to providing the best-in-class care. With the support of Gulf Capital, we were able to expand successfully across the region and enhance our service offerings including adding in house genetic capabilities. We are excited to join IVI-RMA's global platform and to continue delivering on our mission and commitment towards the GCC community.'Hazem Abu Khalaf, Managing Director and Head of Healthcare investments at Gulf Capital, added: 'Our investment in ART Fertility is a clear example of Gulf Capital's ability to drive operational improvement and strategic growth in high-impact sectors. As one of the most vital and fast-evolving industries in the GCC, healthcare continues to offer both meaningful impact and long-term growth opportunities. ART Fertility stands as a testament to that potential. Over the past few years, we have helped build a business that combines scale, profitability, and clinical leadership – three elements that are often difficult to align. We are confident that ART Fertility is well-positioned for continued success in its next phase of growth under IVI-RMA's ownership and proud to have laid the foundation for its continued success in advancing specialized healthcare in the region'.
Gulf Capital and ART Fertility Clinics were advised by Moelis & Company as M&A advisor, and A&O Shearman as legal advisor on the transaction.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

United Arab Bank Successfully Raises AED 1.03 billion through Rights Issue
United Arab Bank Successfully Raises AED 1.03 billion through Rights Issue

Al Bawaba

time20 hours ago

  • Al Bawaba

United Arab Bank Successfully Raises AED 1.03 billion through Rights Issue

United Arab Bank (UAB), listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) announced the successful completion of its capital increase, which ended on July 29, 2025. The Rights Issue raised AED 1,031 billion increasing the Bank's issued capital from AED 2,062 billion to AED 3,093 billion. The newly issued shares were priced at AED 1 per share. All necessary regulatory approvals have been obtained for this Rights Issue was oversubscribed, underscoring UAB's robust fundamentals and strong performance as a result of the diligent execution of its turnaround strategy. United Arab Bank intends to use the net proceeds raised from the Rights Issue to strengthen its capital base and to support future growth of the business of the on the Rights Issue success, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of United Arab Bank, said: 'We are deeply grateful for the trust and support of our shareholders in this Rights Issue. The strong response we have received will further strengthen our balance sheet, mark a new chapter in UAB's progress, and reaffirm our commitment to delivering value to our shareholders. In addition, it will enhance our financial resilience, and position us to continue contributing to the UAE economy and its sustainable development agenda.'He added: 'We also extend our sincere appreciation to the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and all our transaction partners whose support and collaboration were instrumental in ensuring the success of this Rights Issue.'Commenting on the announcement, Shirish Bhide, CEO of United Arab Bank, said: 'The success of the Rights Issue reflects the confidence that our shareholders have in the Bank and our future endeavours. This step represents an important milestone in strengthening UAB's capital position and reinforces our long-term commitment to sustainable growth. The additional capital will support the next phase of our strategy, ensuring we are well-positioned to meet evolving regulatory requirements, support our clients' needs, and deliver sustainable returns to our shareholders.'UAB posted a net profit of AED 208 million for the first half of 2025, compared to AED 139 million for the same period last year, representing a 50% year-on-year increase. Total income rose by 24% year-on-year to AED 374 million. First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) acted as Lead Manager and Bookrunner of the Rights Issue and Al Tamimi & Co. acted as Legal Adviser.

du partners with Microsoft, Nokia, Khalifa University, and ITU to Launch Region's First Arabic Telecom LLM for Operational Excellence
du partners with Microsoft, Nokia, Khalifa University, and ITU to Launch Region's First Arabic Telecom LLM for Operational Excellence

Al Bawaba

time20 hours ago

  • Al Bawaba

du partners with Microsoft, Nokia, Khalifa University, and ITU to Launch Region's First Arabic Telecom LLM for Operational Excellence

du, the leading telecom and digital services provider, has partnered with Microsoft, Nokia, Khalifa University's 6G Research Center, and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to launch a first-of-its-kind Arabic Telecom Large Language Model (LLM). This cross-sector partnership brings together global tech innovation, regional research leadership, and international policy guidance to co-create an AI model that serves critical telecom functions in Arabic—a first in the industry. The du Arabic Telecom LLM is tailored specifically for internal telecom operations and is designed to enhance the efficiency of du's processes while advancing the UAE's vision for sovereign AI breakthrough collaboration introduces an Arabic-language telecom assistant that supports du's internal teams by enabling real-time customer complaint handling, device issue resolution, and intelligent operational insights through culturally fluent and context-aware dialogue. The model is built to transform internal processes while ensuring alignment with linguistic precision and cultural nuances specific to the UAE AlBlooshi, Chief Technology Officer at du, said: " du Arabic Telecom LLM reflects our commitment to improving internal efficiency and customer experiences using advanced, culturally attuned solutions. Together with our esteemed partners, Microsoft, Nokia, Khalifa University and ITU, we are building a future where AI speaks our language, understands our context, and drives real operational transformation and impactful customer exp."Developed in the UAE, du Arabic Telecom LLM reflects the region's language and cultural standards, ensuring accurate and meaningful applications for internal telecom use across national critical infrastructure. Looking forward, this collaboration lays the groundwork for extending the model's capabilities beyond internal operations to include customer-facing functions and multilingual support, paving the way for broad sectoral innovation. du and its partners are dedicated to advancing this Arabic Telecom LLM as a benchmark for localized, responsible AI application in the telecom industry and beyond.

Markaz records Total Revenue of KD 14.45 million for H1-2025
Markaz records Total Revenue of KD 14.45 million for H1-2025

Al Bawaba

time21 hours ago

  • Al Bawaba

Markaz records Total Revenue of KD 14.45 million for H1-2025

Kuwait Financial Centre 'Markaz' (KSE: Markaz, Reuters: Bloomberg: MARKAZ: KK) reported its financial results for H1-2025 with a Total Revenue of KD 14.45 million with an increase of 65%, as compared to KD 8.76 million in H1-2024. The net profit attributable to shareholders of Markaz was KD 6.41 million, compared to KD 1.79 million in the same period last year, and earnings per share was 13 Fils for H1-2025. Mr. Diraar Yusuf Alghanim, Markaz's Chairman, stated: 'Kuwait demonstrated robust performance during the second quarter of 2025, with non-oil GDP growth estimated at around 2.5%, supported by steady expansion in real estate, manufacturing, and hospitality, while inflation remained contained near 2.3% alongside a private sector PMI of 53.9 in the GCC, economic prospects were reinforced by ongoing diversification initiatives and rising credit activity in the UAE, which helped sustain regional growth. Regional oil revenues also benefited from periodic price increases amid geopolitical tensions, supporting fiscal balances. On the global front, the IMF revised growth expectations downward due to weaker demand and continued geopolitical friction, although oil market movements offered some support to regional fiscal positions. In recognition of its institutional strength and innovative investment capabilities during this period, Markaz was honoured with five prestigious awards from EMEA Finance, Euromoney, and MEED. We remain positive on the region's outlook, supported by improving financial conditions, ongoing structural reforms, and steady demand trends. Our priority continues to be the creation of long-term value for our stakeholders through disciplined execution, strategic growth, and prudent risk Ali H. Khalil, Markaz's CEO, stated: Markaz's Asset Management fees for H1-2025 were KD 3.94 million as compared to KD 3.46 million for the same period last year, reflecting an increase of 14%. Investment Banking and Advisory fees for H1-2025 were KD 0.52 million as compared to KD 0.63 million for H1-2024. This performance reflects the strength of our diversified portfolios and disciplined focus on consistent execution across business verticals. In asset management, our equity mutual funds continued to deliver stable returns amid heightened market volatility. MIDAF, Mumtaz, the Markaz Islamic Fund, and Forsa recorded returns of 8.65%, 10.45%, 18.05%, and 12.31% respectively, supported by prudent investment strategies and active portfolio management. Within investment banking, Markaz continues to reinforce its capital markets expertise and deepen long-term client relationships. The team maintains a robust transaction pipeline, with multiple active M&A mandates currently regional and international real estate investments have remained resilient, supported by stable occupancy levels, reliable rental income, and steady collection rates. During the year, Markaz exited industrial real estate projects exceeding USD 100 million in the US and Europe, highlighting its disciplined investment approach, partnerships, and leadership in global real estate and credit strategies. Markaz also released the first annual report for its Shariah-compliant Markaz Real Estate Fund (MREF), strengthening transparency and highlighting its market demographic dynamics, sustained infrastructure spending, and broader economic diversification across the GCC continue to create attractive opportunities. Markaz is focused on providing differentiated investment offerings and maintaining strategic agility to deliver long-term value for Abdullatif W. Al-Nusif, Managing Director, Wealth Management and Business Development at Markaz, stated: 'Markaz continued to strengthen its wealth management services during the second quarter of 2025. Assets Under Management (AUM) reached approximately KD 1.56 billion as of 30 June 2025, reflecting an [increase] of 13.14% compared to KD 1.38 billion in Q2 2024. This growth is underpinned by our disciplined execution and client-focused strategy. In May 2025, Markaz successfully engaged professional and qualified investors through an exclusive private markets event with BlackRock, strengthening client access to global strategies and highlighting private credit as a strategic income-focused asset class. Expanding capabilities across private markets, alternative assets, and tailored advisory services remains central to addressing clients' evolving requirements. Enhanced digital initiatives continue to strengthen the client experience and drive greater efficiency. Supported by strong relationships with institutional and high net worth clients, and solutions aligned with market dynamics, Markaz is positioned to deliver consistent investment outcomes and uphold its leadership in wealth creation.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store