Eurazeo opens office in ADGM to bolster its presence in the region

European asset management firm Eurazeo has established a new office in Abu Dhabi's ADGM financial center. This move is part of the group's strategy to strengthen its presence in the Middle East region. The office, led by Managing Director Adrien Pinelli in investor relations, will serve as a regional hub for Eurazeo's activities in the Middle East. This expansion is expected to open up new opportunities for Gulf investors to allocate funds towards European mid-market companies.

Christophe Baviere and William Kadouch-Chassaing, Co-Chief Executives of Eurazeo, emphasized that the opening of the office in Abu Dhabi reflects the increasing significance of the Gulf for Eurazeo, as well as their confidence in the region's long-term growth prospects.

This strategic move comes amid the ongoing attractiveness of ADGM as a global financial hub despite geopolitical tensions such as the Iran war. ADGM has recently welcomed high-profile companies like Pantheon, a global private markets firm with approximately $84 billion in assets under management.

The UAE capital has been attracting notable businesses, including Blue Owl Capital, a private credit lender; Vista Equity Partners, a US-based private equity firm; Man Group, the largest listed hedge fund; Barings, Cantor, and Adapt Investment Managers, a Swiss derivative investment company.

In the first half of the year, asset managers based in ADGM managed over $2.1 trillion in global assets under management. The financial hub has seen a 23% annual increase in the number of fund and asset managers, totaling 190, with 11 new managers added in the second quarter. Fund numbers also saw a 32% year-on-year increase to 276 in the January-to-June period.

Eurazeo, which manages over 650 mid-market companies and employs 450 people, operates in 16 offices across Europe, Asia, and the US.