For EQT, which manages $389 billion in assets, the launch of a dedicated Middle East platform based in Abu Dhabi is a strategic move to deepen ties with regional institutional and sovereign investors. The firm has cultivated relationships with the largest regional investors for years, and this new platform is designed to strengthen those ties while pursuing new investments aligned with the Gulf's economic transformation. Consistent with its integrated "One EQT" approach, the platform brings together private equity and infrastructure investing, with scope to draw on the firm's real estate and secondaries capabilities.

GCC economies are channelling capital into healthcare, education, digital and technology, industrials, and the energy transition, priorities that map closely onto EQT's thematic approach, including its focus on digital and AI infrastructure. Several of its portfolio companies already operate in the region, including Nord Anglia Education, Virtusa, Banking Circle, Nothing, and SAUR, and the local platform is intended to support both those businesses and others looking to expand into the Gulf. Jean Eric Salata, chair of EQT Group, stated the firm was "now deepening our commitment to the GCC by putting dedicated people and resources on the ground." The platform will be led by Jimmy Mahtani, appointed chairman of the GCC alongside his existing role, with Smiyet Belrhiti as head of Middle East.

Belrhiti, who brings more than two decades of investment experience across the GCC and wider MENA region, described EQT as committed to being a long-term partner in the region's development. With the addition of Abu Dhabi, EQT now operates offices in more than 25 countries that together account for over 80% of global GDP.