KKR, a leading global investment firm, has announced that it is expanding its presence in the Middle East including the appointment of General David Petraeus (US Army, Ret.) as Chairman of KKR Middle East and the establishment of a dedicated investment team in the region led by Julian Barratt-Due, a Managing Director at KKR. These appointments build on KKR’s ongoing strategic commitment to the region, including having local offices since 2009 and deploying capital directly since 2019.
General Petraeus, former CIA Director and former Commander of US Central Command, is a Partner at KKR and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute, which assesses geopolitical issues and supports international growth, as well as a Board Director and strategic advisor to KKR portfolio companies and the Kissinger Fellow at Yale University’s Jackson School of Global Affairs. In his expanded role, General Petraeus will leverage his extensive Middle East knowledge and stakeholder relationships to strengthen KKR’s presence and partnerships in the region.
Julian Barratt-Due, who joined KKR in 2016, has been instrumental in a broad range of infrastructure investments, including the recent agreement to invest into Gulf Data Hub, a major independent data center platform in the Middle East with an owned portfolio of seven purpose-built and state-of-the art data centers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and additional facilities planned in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. Julian will lead the new regional investment team to identify investment and partnership opportunities in the region, with a focus on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
Building on 16 years in the region, KKR has also strengthened and grown its Global Client Solutions team based across KKR’s offices in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with Directors Patricia Bandeira Vieira and Michael de Freitas moving to the region last year to focus on strategic partnerships and client engagement across the Middle East.
Joe Bae and Scott Nuttall, co-CEOs of KKR, commented: “We view the Middle East as an increasingly important destination for investment, with structural reforms, pro-investment policies, and favorable demographic trends accelerating economic growth. With General Petraeus’ unparalleled insight into the region’s strategic and economic landscape, and Julian’s expertise in optimizing and growing businesses, we believe KKR can be a valuable partner for clients and companies across the Middle East.”
General Petraeus served over 37 years in the U.S. military, concluding his career with six consecutive commands as a general officer, including command of the Surge in Iraq, U.S. Central Command, and coalition forces in Afghanistan. After retiring, he was confirmed by the Senate as Director of the CIA (Agency) with a vote of 94-0, leading the Agency as it achieved significant milestones in the global war on terror, the establishment of important Agency digital initiatives, and significant investments in the Agency’s human capital. General Petraeus also earned a Ph.D. from Princeton University in a combination of international relations and economics.
General David Petraeus (US Army, Ret.), Partner and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute and Chairman of KKR Middle East, said: “The Middle East is emerging as a leading investment powerhouse with a clear vision, impressive innovation, strong fiscal position, and increasingly partnership-orientated private sector and governments. We see growing opportunities for KKR to partner with leading domestic businesses, bringing differentiated expertise to deliver value while supporting governments’ strategic economic goals. It will be a pleasure to be spending considerable time in the Middle East, and to help build on regional momentum and contribute to its growing global presence.”
Julian Barratt-Due, Managing Director at KKR, added: “The Middle East represents a compelling investment destination driven by the size and growth of the economy, favorable demographic trends, and a stable currency and jurisdictional climate. As the region’s economy is diversifying and foreign direct investment flows are increasing, we are excited to invest long-term capital and be a partner to businesses and our stakeholders to drive economic growth and value creation aligned with the region’s strategic objectives.”
In addition to the strategic partnership with Gulf Data Hub, KKR’s prior investments in the region include a strategic partnership with ADNOC in 2019 to create ADNOC Oil Pipelines, which marked the first midstream infrastructure collaboration between a leading global institutional investor and a national oil company in the Middle East. KKR also acquired a portfolio of commercial aircraft from Etihad Airways in 2020 through aircraft leasing investment platform Altitude Aircraft Leasing, which was established by KKR’s credit and infrastructure funds in 2018 to acquire aircraft serviced by Altavair.
