SEDCO Capital, a global, Shariah-compliant, and ESG-led asset management and investment advisory firm with over SAR 50 billion in assets under management, and Wahed Inc, (Wahed), a New York headquartered global Islamic financial technology company, with north of $2bn in assets under management recently, announced a strategic partnership to launch a publicly offered, Shariah-compliant real estate investment suite focused on Makkah and Madinah.
Industry sources added that this partnership is intended to give eligible investors, including Waheds 500,000 global investor base, diversified exposure to professionally sourced and managed real estate serving residents, pilgrims, businesses and visitors across the Two Holy Cities. It would bring together SEDCO Capital’s local investment and asset-management capabilities with Wahed’s experience as a category leader in making professionally managed investments easier for investors to access.
Industry sources further confirmed that the companies intend to launch a publicly offered, Shariah-compliant real estate suite combining SEDCO Capital’s Saudi real estate expertise with Wahed’s digital investment capabilities supporting Vision 2030’s investment and economic diversification ambitions.
A long-term opportunity at the heart of Vision 2030
Makkah and Madinah sit at the center of one of the world’s most enduring demand stories. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Pilgrim Experience Program aims to enable 30 million Umrah pilgrims annually by 2030, alongside a wider program of investment intended to improve the experience of pilgrims and visitors. Meeting that ambition requires continued development across accommodation, hospitality, retail, residential property and the infrastructure that supports both cities.
This will provide a Shariah-compliant route into this long-term growth story while directing private capital toward real assets that can help meet the needs of residents, pilgrims and visitors. The partnership also aligns with Vision 2030’s broader economic diversification goals: attracting international investment, increasing private-sector participation, deepening Saudi capital markets and supporting the growth of real estate and tourism sectors in Saudi Arabia..
Opening an opportunity that has historically been difficult to access
For overseas individual investors, direct access to real estate in Makkah and Madinah has often been limited by high entry values, local-market boundariesย and a scarcity of professionally managed products built for investor participation. It is intended to narrow that gap, giving eligible investors exposure to a professionally selected portfolio without requiring them to source and manage an individual property.
Abdulwahhab Abed, Chief Executive Officer of SEDCO Capital noted “Makkah and Madinah are at the heart of the Kingdom’s most important transformations. The investment taking place is about meeting the needs of growing numbers global demand while creating lasting economic opportunity. SEDCO Capital brings deep local real estate capability and a long history of managing capital in the Kingdom. By partnering with Wahed, we intend to connect that expertise with a much broader investor audience and channel long-term international capital into opportunities that support Vision 2030.”
Mohsin Siddiqui, Chief Executive Officer of Wahed said: “Over the years, one question has come up again and again from Wahed clients around the world: how can I invest in Makkah and Madinah? For most people, there has never been a straightforward answer. This partnership is designed to change that. SEDCO Capital brings the local depth and real estate expertise; Wahed brings the distribution network, digital platform and experience of making professionally managed real estate easier to access. Together, we want to give everyday investors a credible, Shariah-compliant way to participate in the long-term growth of cities that mean so much to them.”
The concept responds to demand Wahed says it has seen from clients across international markets seeking credible, Shariah-compliant access to Saudi real assets – and, in particular, to Makkah and Madinah. It also builds on the successful launch of Wahed’s U.S. private real estate fund, which was designed to give accredited and non-accredited investors pooled exposure to professionally managed US based residential real estate from a $100 minimum.
