Pantheon has opened its first Middle East office in Abu Dhabi Global Market and hired Firas Mallah from Sagard as managing director and head of Middle East. Mallah spent his most recent role at Sagard as managing director and head of MENA. He has more than 23 years of experience in capital formation and investor relations across the Middle East. From Abu Dhabi, he will lead Pantheon’s fundraising from sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and financial institutions, and he will report to chief client officer Florence Dard.

Mallah described the Middle East as “one of the fastest-growing sources of capital in private markets”. Pantheon has worked with investors in every GCC country for nearly two decades, and the new office aims to deepen those relationships. Dard said the move comes “off the back of a record fundraising year”, with a growing share of new capital coming from the Gulf.

Secondaries are central to Pantheon’s pitch in the region. The firm started buying secondaries in 1988 and now runs one of the industry’s first and largest private credit and infrastructure secondaries businesses. According to Pantheon, Gulf investors are increasingly drawn to secondaries because they offer discounted access to mature portfolios with identifiable assets. Investors also benefit from lower blind pool risk, a shorter J-curve, and earlier distributions.

The Abu Dhabi office brings Pantheon’s global network to 13 locations across four continents.