Abraaj Capital (Abraaj) is a UAE-based investment firm specializing in private equity and direct investment in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. Abraaj manages over AED14.7 billion (USD4 billion) of assets including seven private equity funds, as of 2007.

Abraaj has built an investment portfolio that includes regional and international companies operating in financial services, air transportation, information services, retail, construction, transport products, petrochemicals, and real estate.

Some of its main investment projects include Arabtec HoldingArabtec Holding, a UAE-based real estate investment company that Abraaj co-founded in 2004. Arabtec HoldingArabtec Holding operates four subsidiaries operating in construction, contracting and engineering services as well as the production of pre-cast buildings and ready mix. Abraaj sold off some of its stakes in Arabtec through an IPO in August 2004.

In the financial services Abraaj became the largest shareholder in the regional investment bank EFG-HermesEFG-Hermes, through a private equity transaction worth EGP3 billion (USD505 million) in 2006. It later sold its stakes in EFG Hermes to Dubai Financial Group (a subsidiary of the Dubai Group) in November 2007 for USD1.1 billion.

Abraaj also became a co-founding shareholder of UAE?s Air ArabiaAir Arabia in March 2007, which eventually underwent an IPO that became the largest in the UAE at the time. Other investments include air transportation through Jordan Aircraft MaintenanceJordan Aircraft Maintenance, retail through SpinneysSpinneys chain of supermarkets and logistics through AramexAramex.