Master developer Arada has launched Arada Capital, a new fund management platform targeting $5 billion in assets under management (AUM) within four years, as it seeks to channel institutional capital into real estate and infrastructure opportunities across the GCC.
The platform, which will be headquartered in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), has received In-Principle Approval (IPA) from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) and is seeking final regulatory approval to operate as a licensed fund manager. Once licensed, Arada Capital will offer institutional and qualified investors direct access to Arada’s development pipeline as well as broader investment opportunities across the GCC real estate market.
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The move comes as institutional appetite for Gulf real estate continues to strengthen, supported by economic growth, population expansion and government-led development programmes across the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Arada has launched 11 projects across the UAE and expanded into the UK and Australia, with a development pipeline valued at around Dh130 billion comprising approximately 55,000 homes.
Arada said the new platform is designed to provide institutional investors with a regulated and professionally managed gateway into the region’s real estate and infrastructure sectors while benefiting from the developer’s existing pipeline, operating expertise and governance framework.
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal, Executive Vice Chairman of Arada, will serve as Chairman of Arada Capital.
“Arada has spent nearly a decade building one of the region’s most integrated real estate platforms, and Arada Capital now allows institutional investors to participate directly in that growth story,” he said.
The company has appointed Moustafa Fahour OAM as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Arada Capital.
Fahour brings more than two decades of international experience in banking, infrastructure investment and asset management, having previously held senior positions at UBS, Citigroup, Macquarie Group and CIMIC Group. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer of Plenary Middle East, where he led delivery of the UAE’s first education public-private partnership programme.
“Arada Capital presents a unique opportunity to attract institutional partnerships into high-quality opportunities across real estate, infrastructure and alternative investments,” Fahour said.
The platform will initially focus on GCC real estate before progressively expanding into infrastructure and broader private-market investment strategies across the region. It will launch with investment opportunities linked to Arada’s existing developments and strategic partnerships in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Source: Khaleej Times