News

General Atlantic, a leading global growth investor, today announces the opening of its new office in Abu Dhabi. The expansion in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reflects General Atlantic’s commitment to partnering with local investors and entrepreneurs and its conviction in the attractive opportunities available in the region’s growing economy.

General Atlantic’s Abu Dhabi office will play a pivotal role in accelerating General Atlantic’s growth strategy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENAT) as the firm builds upon recent growth momentum in the region. After successfully investing in the MENAT region for over a decade, the expansion of General Atlantic’s local footprint will foster deeper partnerships as key executives and investment professionals can closely engage with local entrepreneurs and growth companies across the firm’s core investment strategies – Technology, Consumer, Financial Services, Healthcare, and Climate.

General Atlantic has been actively investing in the MENAT region since 2012, investing over $1 billion to date across its investments, including eyewa, a regional direct-to-consumer eyewear retailer; Insider, an AI-native omnichannel experience and customer engagement platform; Property Finder, an online real estate platform; and Trendyol, a regional marketplace and e-commerce platform. The firm previously invested in Yemeksepeti, an online food ordering marketplace sold to Delivery Hero, and Network International, a payments solution provider headquartered in the UAE.

Strategic Rationale for General Atlantic’s Expansion

• The MENAT region is one of the fastest-growing regions. The Middle East is expected to grow around 4 percent in 2025 and 2026 and has the potential to unlock around $1 trillion in additional GDP through greater economic diversification.
• The region’s digital economy is a significant driver of growth with the UAE’s digital economy projected to increase by $140 billion by 2031. Significant investments in digital transformation across its economic sectors are supporting the UAE’s goal to double its contribution of the digital economy to the UAE's non-oil GDP from 11.7 percent to over 20 percent within the next 10 years, creating an opportunity for growth companies to scale innovative technologies.
• There is a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem taking hold. Government programs such as Jahiz, dedicated to developing the workforce’s digital skillset including fluency in data analytics and AI, are playing a pivotal role in supporting a new generation of entrepreneurs.