In this keynote address, a minister will review the current global economic conditions and the implications for private equity investment strategies in the Middle East.  

The outlook for global private equity activity is a mixed picture with both challenges and opportunities on the horizon. Funds have significant dry powder to deploy with opportunities available in distressed assets, emerging markets and continued technological disruption. However, economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, regulatory scrutiny and high valuations pose challenges to the industry. While private equity continues to adapt, investors generally have a positive outlook for private equity activity in the Middle East.  

• Outlook for global private equity activity – which strategies are proving most successful? 
• Growth opportunities and innovative solutions – where is liquidity coming from? 
• Which sectors are faring well, and which are on pause for now? 
• How have LP-GP dynamics evolved? Are GPs tapping into new sources of capital?

Economic diversification, government initiatives, active sovereign wealth funds and a growing start-up ecosystem stand the Middle East in an advantageous position for private equity activity. However, there are also some challenges to consider including ongoing conflicts and instability in some parts of the region, oil price volatility, increased competition and local regulatory frameworks. This panel will discuss the growing opportunities for private equity deployment in the Middle East, particularly those aligned with economic diversification efforts and technological advancements. 

• What are the deployment opportunities in key sectors such as tech, healthcare and consumer? 
• Which regions are proving most active for investors, considering the UAE, KSA and Saudi?  
• What is the impact of international PE firms entering the market on domestic deployment? 
• What opportunities exist as the government continues to privatise assets?

Exit activity in the Middle East continues to evolve with a mixture of traditional IPOs, private sales and more innovative exit structures seen recently. The success of economic diversification and the continued development of capital markets will play a crucial role in shaping the future exit landscape for private equity in the region. 

• What have the trends in recent exit activity and valuations been? 
• What is the role of IPOs in exit strategies for 2025? 
• What secondary opportunities exist in the region?  
• What role do innovative strategies play in the market for GPs to return capital back to their LPs, such as continuation vehicles?

Asian GPs have played an increasingly active role in the Middle East in recent years which is likely to continue to evolve, potentially increasing in importance as economic links between the two regions strengthen further. Challenges for Asian GPs can include navigating local regulations, geopolitical dynamics and competing with more established Western and local firms. However, their growing presence is contributing to the diversification of the Middle East private equity landscape and continues to grow. 

• How are Asian GPs’ strategies different to global private equity strategies? 
• Which sectors are Asian GPs particularly interested in, considering technology, infrastructure and energy? 
• Liquidity strategies – what are the similarities and differences? 
• How is the Belt Road Initiative contributed to Chinese activity in the region? And in which sectors?

Technological advancements continue to create opportunities for growth equity investments in innovative companies across various sectors. As well as this, digital transformation in value creation strategies is increasing valuations ten-fold for GPs looking to exit. Operationally, GPs are also leveraging AI for significant operational improvements in portfolio companies.  

• How are GPs leveraging technology and AI for operational improvements? 
• What is the role of technology and AI in value creation strategies? 
• Which sectors will see a significant impact and transformation because of GenAI? 
• What are the regulatory and data privacy concerns around AI?

Another area for opportunity in the Middle East is the evolving and growing private credit landscape. Despite traditional bank lending dominating in the region, there is increasing awareness and adoption of alternative financing options. Economic diversification efforts are creating demand for diverse funding sources and the growing SME sector is seeking more flexible financing options.  

• What are the private credit opportunities and return potential in the region? 
• What are LPs’ views on private credit in the region given it is relatively nascent? 
• Who are the key players in the sector? Which sectors are most opportunistic for private credit funds? 
• Which types of credit are proving most popular? What are the regional variations?

The Middle Eastern VC landscape is dynamic and rapidly evolving due to the region’s strong economic fundamentals, a young, tech-savvy population and government support for innovation which is driving continued growth and maturation of the ecosystem. Sophisticated investment strategies, further funding rounds and potentially more significant exits are set to further establish the Middle East as a notable player in the global VC landscape. 

• What has the impact of initiatives such as Saudi’s Vision 2030 and the UAE’s National Innovation Strategy been on entrepreneurship and innovation in the region? 
• What are the key markets in terms of VC activity? Where are the hotspots of activity? 
• Which sectors are particularly active? What are the opportunities in Fintech, E-commerce, Edtech, Healthtech and Proptech? 
• What will AI’s impact on investment theses be in the VC landscape?

Following growing interesting and curiosity about the MENA region amongst LPs, there remains cautious optimism amongst investors. Many LPs view the region as having strong long-term prospects, particularly given its young, tech-savvy population with many LPs slowly increasing their allocations towards the region, though often starting with a low base and gradually increasing exposure as they gain more familiarity and confidence in the market. 

• What is investors sentiment towards the region? What are their return expectations? 
• Which sectors are particularly interesting to LPs? 
• GP selection – how are LPs choosing GPs? How do they decide between local and global GPs? 
• What co-investment opportunities exist in the region?