Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Nahda Capital Partners, a newly established private equity platform headquartered in ADGM, has filed for the registration of its inaugural private equity fund as it prepares to launch investment activities across the GCC.
The firm said the name “Nahda” — which in Arabic refers to a renaissance, renewal and resurgence — reflects its long-term mission to build enduring partnerships and contribute to the development of the region’s real economy, with a focus on supporting local founders, families and institutions.
Nahda Capital Partners is led by Iñigo de Luna, Founder and Managing Partner, and is building a control-oriented mid-market private equity strategy focused primarily on the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC.
The firm will target founder-led and family-owned businesses benefiting from structural regional growth and increasing institutionalisation, particularly companies undergoing generational transition or seeking institutional capital and operational support to accelerate expansion across the GCC.
According to the company, the founding partners bring significant international experience across private equity and investment banking, with a historical track record generating approximately 36% gross internal rate of return (IRR) across multiple economic cycles.
The strategy includes a majority-investment approach in partnership with founders and family shareholders, combined with an operational value-creation model focused on professionalisation, operational improvement, governance strengthening and selective buy-and-build expansion.
Nahda Capital Partners expects to focus on sectors including food production and distribution, healthcare, education and industrial technology. Its investment approach is guided by principles aligned with Sharia-compliant investing, including an emphasis on real-economy assets, prudent use of leverage and disciplined governance.
Luna, Founder and Managing Partner of Nahda Capital Partners, said: “Nahda Capital Partners was established to partner with high-quality mid-market businesses across the GCC that can benefit from long-term capital and hands-on operational support. These are difficult days, and the priority is safety and de-escalation.
"At the same time, we view this as a severe but temporary shock rather than a change in the long-term trajectory of the UAE and the region. Our conviction has not changed: the GCC is structurally strengthening as a place to build businesses and allocate long-term capital.”
Subject to regulatory approval, the firm expects to commence fundraising in the coming weeks, targeting approximately $300 million for its inaugural fund, which will be managed from ADGM.
