Abraaj Capital
Encyclopedia
Abraaj Capital is among the world's 50-biggest private equity groups, and invests in the growing Middle East
, North Africa
and South Asia
region, a region also known as MENASA. Abraaj manages about $6.6 billion of funds and stakes in about two dozen companies, including some of the best known in the MENASA region. These include GEMS
, the Middle East's biggest privately owned operator of schools; Acibadem
, Turkey's leading operator of premium hospitals, and Al Borg Laboratories, the Middle East's biggest privately owned medical-testing laboratory company. Abraaj's network of offices spans seven countries, including Turkey
, Egypt
, Saudi Arabia
, Morocco
and Pakistan
. The group is based in Dubai
Abraaj's core business is private equity. It manages seven funds; four buyout funds, one in real estate, one investing in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and an income-generating sale-and-leaseback fund. Since inception in 2002, Abraaj has raised about $7 billion and returned almost $3 billion to its investors. In all, it and its predecessor entity, the Cupola Group, have made more than 35 investments in 11 countries, and exited 20. The internal rate of return
averages almost 80%.
Abraaj's strategy is to identify sectors with great growth potential and, within those, well-managed companies with the capacity to become regional, if not international champions. Successes include Aramex, the Middle East's largest courier company, and Maktoob, an on-line portal which was recently bought by Yahoo! About 130 people from 29 nationalities work for Abraaj.
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
region, a region also known as MENASA. Abraaj manages about $6.6 billion of funds and stakes in about two dozen companies, including some of the best known in the MENASA region. These include GEMS
Sunny Varkey
Sunny Varkey began the Varkey Group in 1980 with 'Our Own English High School'. Since 1980, the organisation has since evolved to include a number of schools internationally...
, the Middle East's biggest privately owned operator of schools; Acibadem
Acibadem Healthcare Group
Turkey's leading healthcare institution, Acıbadem, operates with over 6000 employees in 20 different location through a network of 6 general hospitals, medical centers, outpatient clinics, 1 ophthalmology center and laboratories...
, Turkey's leading operator of premium hospitals, and Al Borg Laboratories, the Middle East's biggest privately owned medical-testing laboratory company. Abraaj's network of offices spans seven countries, including Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The group is based in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
Abraaj's core business is private equity. It manages seven funds; four buyout funds, one in real estate, one investing in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and an income-generating sale-and-leaseback fund. Since inception in 2002, Abraaj has raised about $7 billion and returned almost $3 billion to its investors. In all, it and its predecessor entity, the Cupola Group, have made more than 35 investments in 11 countries, and exited 20. The internal rate of return
Internal rate of return
The internal rate of return is a rate of return used in capital budgeting to measure and compare the profitability of investments. It is also called the discounted cash flow rate of return or the rate of return . In the context of savings and loans the IRR is also called the effective interest rate...
averages almost 80%.
Abraaj's strategy is to identify sectors with great growth potential and, within those, well-managed companies with the capacity to become regional, if not international champions. Successes include Aramex, the Middle East's largest courier company, and Maktoob, an on-line portal which was recently bought by Yahoo! About 130 people from 29 nationalities work for Abraaj.