Since its inception in 2002, Abraaj Capital has moved from an upstart, Dubai-based investor to among one of the largest private equity firms in the world and a dominant player across the emerging markets. Its acquisition this year of Aureos Capital give the firm a presence in 30 countries. And according to Abraaj CEO Mustafa Abdel-Wadood, the growth of Abraaj has only just begun.
In an exclusive interview with Privcap, Abdel-Wadood discusses how his firm has built upon its initial success in the Middle East by expanding to contiguous geographies, the importance of the Aureos Capital acquisition, how Abraaj can be competitive in newer markets like Latin America, the business connections that are growing between emerging markets, the “pent up demand” for goods and services among emerging middle-class consumers around the world, how the MENA region moved away from being “a source of capital as opposed to a target for capital,” and why the firm recently launched a fund targeting investment in Palestine.
This program is sponsored by Ernst & Young.
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Mustafa Abdel-Wadood
CEO
Abraaj Capital
Mustafa Abdel-Wadood is a member of the Board of Directors and Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee of Abraaj Capital. In his capacity as Chief Executive Officer of Abraaj Capital Ltd. and head of the various investment committees, he oversees the company’s investment activities. Abdel-Wadood has over 20 years of experience in the field of investment management, corporate finance and business development throughout the Middle East region and beyond. Prior to joining Abraaj Capital, Abdel-Wadood was at the regional investment bank EFG-Hermes with his last position there as Chief Executive Officer in the United Arab Emirates, overseeing the bank’s expansion in the lower Gulf.
Abdel-Wadood was also Co-Founder and Managing Director of Sigma Capital, managing the company’s investment banking and corporate finance activities. Prior to that, Abdel-Wadood spent eight years at Egypt’s Orascom Group where he was Director of Development and Investments and a Board Member of Orascom Telecom. At Orascom, he was responsible for corporate investments and acquisitions.
Abdel-Wadood has served on the boards of several publicly listed and private companies. In 2002, the World Economic Forum selected him as one of the 100 ‘Global Leaders for Tomorrow’ and ‘Young Global Leader in 2007’. He is Co-Founder and member of the Dubai-based ‘Young Arab Leaders’ and a member of the ‘Young Presidents’ Organization’
Abdel-Wadood holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from the American University in Cairo and an MBA from Georgetown University.
