Thriving on private deals since this Dubai-based investment consultancy firm was established in 2015, KHK & Partners has spun off part of its operations into a newly-branded entity Ayala Capital to provide better focus for its high-value clientele.
Co-founder and Chief Investment Officer Hassan Karimi told IFN Investor that Ayala Capital will support KHK’s exclusive clientele for bespoke deals that include Shariah compliant transactions, which some of its clients may not want to participate in.
“Our DNA is not in placements, our DNA is in deals. When we speak to these clients, may they be sovereign wealth managers or GPs [general partners], spinning out Ayala Capital offers them dedicated services of a separate entity competent to work with the largest guys in the world.”
Touching on the firm’s track record that led to the creation of Ayala Capital, Hassan pointed to his resume – which included past stints as director at UAE sovereign wealth fund (SWF), Emirates Investment Authority, the Dubai office of the Carlyle Group plus the UBS’ London and Paris offices.
KHK Co-founder and Managing Director Marwan Herve Hurstel was previously entrusted with developing HSBC’s business in North Africa, Russia, and Eastern European markets.
Hassan said Ayala Capital will operate as a wholly-owned branded entity under the same license granted to KHK and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority – with both the existing and future Shariah compliant businesses to be transitioned to Ayala, with client permissions.
Ayala Capital has dedicated teams already working with French asset manager Tikehau Capital, Swiss firm Montana Capital Partners, space-focused Luxembourg private equity firm NewSpace Capital and China-focused ShoreVest Partners.
Securing dedicated links with US-based asset managers is the next target for Ayala Capital as Hassan said: “Looking at the global view of how capital is raised, the MENA region is easily the net exporter of capital. All the SWFs, family offices, high net-worth individuals (HNWIs) with wealth gained from real estate, oil and gas sectors and more, are still investing.
“Asset managers in the US, in the meantime, are facing challenges in their own fundraising environments. With us being in this region, closer to the source of funds and investors, it offers better linking up with asset opportunities abroad.”
Noting that few are aware of the many HNWIs from Europe and Asia coming into and setting up base in Dubai, Hassan said this trend has accelerated over the past few years. Seen as a growing phenomenon, this is another base of clients that Ayala Capital will also be giving focus to.
“We get enquiries from many every week, who want to come to the region and don’t know where to start. We’ve become one of the critical groups who help them. We help them develop relationships within the region. That is basically the opportunity that we’ve been tapping.”
