Buyout Giant KKR Signals Growing Ambition on Middle East Deals

In October, over 150 professionals from KKR & Co. descended on Abu Dhabi. They huddled in conference rooms at the Mandarin Oriental and dined out in the desert, before traveling to meet with institutional investors across the region that now sits firmly at the heart of global finance.

Weeks after that off-site, KKR picked Abu Dhabi as the location for its third Middle Eastern office. For the $723 billion alternatives giant which pioneered the buyout industry, the moves spotlighted the growing significance of the oil-rich Gulf that boasts a young demographic, growing consumption and robust economic growth.