Private markets firm Pantheon has expanded its Middle East presence with a new office in Abu Dhabi and the appointment of Firas Mallah to lead its business in the region.

The $84bn (£63.3bn) firm has named Mallah as managing director and head of Middle East. The new office is its first in the Abu Dhabi Global Market, the emirate’s international financial centre.

Pantheon said the expansion comes as its private markets strategies, including private credit, have gained strong traction with investors across the Middle East. It added that demand for its credit and equity secondaries work is also growing.

The new office takes Pantheon’s global footprint to 13 locations across four continents, the firm said.

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“Off the back of a record fundraising year, Pantheon continues to see increasing capital formation across the platform, with a growing share coming from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC),” said Florence Dard, chief client officer at Pantheon.

“With this office, Pantheon reaffirms its commitment to the region and to enhancing and deepening the relationships we have built with clients across every Gulf country for nearly two decades.”

Mallah joins from Sagard, where he was managing director and head of Middle East and North Africa.

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“Pantheon’s reputation as a global leader in secondaries and innovation in private markets solutions closely matches investor demand, and I’m excited to bring the firm’s private markets expertise to investors across the region,” said Mallah.

“Establishing our presence in ADGM reflects our strong commitment to the region as we deepen our long-term engagement across the wider GCC.”

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