UAE-based alternate asset manager Gulf Capital has acquired a significant majority stake in the CWB Group, a leading intellectual property (IP) services provider across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Gulf Capital’s acquisition is seen in line with the company’s strategy of securing majority stakes in market leading companies regionally and taking them global.

Dr Karim El Solh, Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Capital, said: “The MENA, Africa and CIS intellectual property services market is estimated at over $350 million annually and is expected to grow at 6 percent per annum over the next 5 years. CWB is very well positioned to continue its strong growth momentum and to expand across emerging markets.”

Gulf Capital, which primarily focuses on late-stage control buy-outs, growth capital, private debt and real estate projects in the Middle East, is yet to reveal the size of the CWB Group deal.

Founded in 2006, CWB provides Patent and Trademark services including counseling, clearing, filing, prosecution, maintenance and enforcement services to Fortune 500 companies across the MENA region.

CWB’s service offering also extends to anti-counterfeiting and commercialisation of IP. CWB works with its clients to conceive and execute strategic solutions to manage, protect and enforce their IP.

“The intellectual property protection and services area is ever more important and complex, and at CWB we have built a solid reputation protecting our clients’ interests across the Middle East. We intend to expand rapidly into new geographies while leveraging our new partner’s experience in building global platforms out of the GCC,” Halim Shehadeh, CEO and founder of the CWB Group, said.

“Our partnership with Gulf Capital is a major step towards reaching our goal of becoming the leading provider of IP services in emerging markets as we expand across new geographies, take on talented people, invest in new technologies and broaden our service offerings,” he added.

(Writing by Seban Scaria; editing by Daniel Luiz)

(seban.scaria@refinitiv.com)

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