Gulf Partners Group Launches Management-Led Private Markets Firm

Manama, Bahrain — 24 January 2026 – Gulf Partners Group (“GPG”) has officially launched as a management-led private markets investment firm, founded by three GCC-based professionals with over 70 years of combined experience in private markets. Headquartered in Bahrain and planning expansion across the GCC (subject to regulatory approvals), GPG will target the middle market segment, pursuing deal-by-deal investments across private equity, private credit, real estate special situations, and select growth opportunities globally.

Anchored by Arzan Financial Group (AFG), one of the region’s premier financial institutions and publicly listed on Boursa Kuwait, GPG will operate as a management-led firm with AFG as its cornerstone shareholder. AFG will provide governance, operational infrastructure, and balance-sheet support, enabling GPG to pursue a long-term investment plan with a target deployment of up to US$2.5 billion over the next five years.

The founding management team consists of Mohammed Alqahtany, Co-CEO; Yousif Al-Abdulla, Co-CEO; and Waleed Abdulaziz, CIO. Together, they bring extensive expertise from leading alternative asset management firms, having led private equity expansion across MENA, scaled real estate investment portfolios, and developed innovative investment solutions attracting sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors, and prominent family offices throughout the Gulf.

Talal Al-Bahar, Chairman of Arzan Financial Group, commented: “Arzan Financial Group is proud to serve as a strategic and anchor investor in GPG. The founding team’s deep experience, regional insights, and focus on governance establish a strong foundation for a platform that can meaningfully shape the evolution of private markets in the GCC.”

Mohammed AlQahtany, Founding Partner & Co-CEO, said: “The Gulf region is experiencing unprecedented economic transformation, creating a wealth of private market opportunities. With Arzan Financial Group’s support, Gulf Partners Group is well-positioned to capture these opportunities and deliver sustainable growth for our investors.”

Yousif Al-Abdulla, Co-CEO, added: “GPG is committed to offering a diversified and balanced private markets portfolio, combining private equity to drive growth, private credit for attractive returns, and real estate to enhance diversification. Strategic global investments will complement our regional focus, providing access to premium deals for our investors.”

GPG is designed to serve ultra-high-net-worth families, family offices, regional institutions, corporations, pension funds, and sovereign wealth funds seeking bespoke investment solutions tailored to the Gulf market. The firm is currently operating through licensed affiliates and is in the process of obtaining regulatory approvals in its target jurisdictions.