David Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of The Carlyle Group, met with Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, the First Deputy Ruler of Dubai over the weekend, as competition heats up to attract private capital to the region.
“We discussed the unique model for public-private partnerships established by the UAE and Dubai, and the new investment opportunities resulting from this approach,” Sheikh Maktoum, who is also UAE Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and President of the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), wrote in a post to Instagram.
Carlyle, one of the world’s biggest private equity and alternate asset managers with $425 billion under management, opened an office in Dubai’s DIFC in 2006.
Rubenstein said the firm is looking to expand its footprint in the region and eyeing new opportunities in emerging markets, according to a statement carried by state media WAM.
The meeting was attended by Carlyle CEO Harvey Schwartz and Ani Khatri, the group’s Managing Director, Partner and Senior Relationship Manager responsible for overseeing Investor Relations in the Middle East, Turkey and Central Asia.
From the government, Minister of State for Financial Affairs Mohamed bin Hadi Al Hussaini, DIFC Governor Essa Kazim and Dubai Holding Group CEO Amit Kaushal were also present.