Industry Private Equity Number of employees >300 CEO Arif Naqvi (2002–) Founded 2002 | Total assets c. US$10 billion Website www.abraaj.com Founder Arif Naqvi Type of business Limited liability company | |
Key people Arif Naqvi, Founder/CEO Products Investments, private equity funds Headquarters Dubai, United Arab Emirates Subsidiaries Aureos Capital Limited, Aureos Peru Advisors, Riyada Enterprise Development Profiles | ||
The Abraaj Group is an investor operating in the growth markets of Africa, Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Turkey. Founded in 2002 by Arif Naqvi, the group has over 20 offices spread across five regional hubs in Istanbul, Mexico City, Dubai, Nairobi and Singapore. Abraaj currently manages c.US$10 billion in assets globally
Contents
- Business Segments
- Private Equity
- Real Estate
- Healthcare
- Energy Infrastructure
- Sustainability Initiatives
- References
In April 2015, the firm closed a US$990 million sub-Saharan Africa fund, its third in the region according to the company. Combined with US$375 million raised in August 2015 for a fund that will focus on North Africa, the two funds give Abraaj just under US$1.4billion to invest in Africa, a record sum raised in a single year. In July 2016, the firm announced that it raised US$526 million for investments in Turkey through Abraaj Turkey Fund I.
Business Segments
The Abraaj Group invests in private equity and in thematic businesses including healthcare, energy infrastructure and real estate.
Private Equity
The Abraaj Group is an investor in global growth markets and has made more than 140 investments across a range of sectors. These businesses currently include:
Real Estate
Abraaj’s Real Estate Investment Team has invested in a range of real estate asset classes, focusing on attractive returns derived from underlying growth fundamentals such as urbanization and increased consumer spending.
Healthcare
Abraaj has invested in companies operating in the healthcare market including healthcare delivery and services, diagnostics, and pharmaceuticals. Significant healthcare transactions include Integrated Diagnostic Holdings in MENA and Acibadem Healthcare in Turkey.
In March 2014, Abraaj announced the establishment of North Africa Hospital Holdings Group, a healthcare roll up platform, built by acquiring standalone hospitals in the region.
Energy Infrastructure
Significant energy infrastructure transactions include K-Electric, a vertically integrated power utility based in Pakistan. In 2015, Abraaj and India’s Aditya Birla Group announced a partnership to develop 1 GW of solar power in the country.
Sustainability Initiatives
In 2012, The Abraaj Group became a signatory to the UN Global Compact and that same year, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed CEO Arif Naqvi to the Board of the Global Compact.
Since its founding in 2002, environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations have been a part of Abraaj’s investment process. Its consideration of ESG issues in each investment adds value locally by ensuring that each company brings high standards of sustainable business practice to its communities. The Abraaj Sustainability Index (ASI), a proprietary tool launched in 2008 measures the sustainable development impact of Abraaj’s investments. Four elements are measured in the index: financial performance, environmental performance, human development and private sector and corporate governance development.
In 2015, Abraaj established the Abraaj Growth Markets Grant to support projects aimed at resolving critical challenges in growth markets. Nine projects were selected ranging from developing myoelectric prosthetic limbs in Kolkata to tracking crime patterns for a safer culture in Puebla.
In 2014, Abraaj established the Abraaj RCA Innovation Scholarship at the Royal College of Art in London. It is the largest scholarship of its kind for postgraduate studies in the creative sector The Abraaj Group Art Prize, the group's flagship arts patronage program, aims at empowering potential and gives often under-represented contemporary artists the resources to further develop their talent.
In 2012, the Abraaj Group has also established an endowed professorship in private equity at the American University in Cairo. The Abraaj Group Chair is occupied by Professor Charilaos Mertzanis.