Waha Capital launched a Sharia-compliant fund in August to meet growing investor demand and expects it to attract more than $500 million (Dh1.83 billion). Victor Besa / The National.
Waha Capital launched a Sharia-compliant fund in August to meet growing investor demand and expects it to attract more than $500 million (Dh1.83 billion). Victor Besa / The National.
Waha Capital launched a Sharia-compliant fund in August to meet growing investor demand and expects it to attract more than $500 million (Dh1.83 billion). Victor Besa / The National.
Waha Capital launched a Sharia-compliant fund in August to meet growing investor demand and expects it to attract more than $500 million (Dh1.83 billion). Victor Besa / The National.

Waha Capital appoints new chief executive


Deepthi Nair
  • English
  • Arabic

Waha Capital, an investment company in Abu Dhabi that counts Mubadala Investment Company among its shareholders, appointed Ahmed Khalifa Al Mehairi as chief executive, as it continues to transform its business.

Mr Al Mehairi is replacing Amr AlMenhali, who led the company's turnaround strategy, Waha Capital said in a statement on Saturday. Mr AlMenhali will take up a senior position in Abu Dhabi, it said without giving details.

During his tenure as chief executive, Mr AlMenhali delivered on a transformation plan “under volatile market conditions, which has included the initiation of a new investment programme and the adoption of an ambitious international growth strategy”, the company said.

Mr Al Mehairi , who will lead the “next chapter of growth”, joins Waha Capital from the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, where he was a principal at the global special situations department. He has also previously worked at Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and is currently a board member of Abu Dhabi National Hotels Company.

Mr Al Mehairi will join the Abu Dhabi-listed company on October 18.

“Al Mehairi brings with him extensive experience and expertise in asset management and investment strategy,” said Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, chairman of Waha Capital.

The company has two business divisions – a private investment arm that invests directly in high-potential companies, and an asset management division that invests in proprietary and third-party funds in globally listed equities and credit.

The company manages assets across several sectors, including healthcare, financial services, energy, infrastructure, industrial real estate and capital markets.

Waha Capital launched a Sharia-compliant fund in August to meet growing investor demand and expects it to attract more than $500 million (Dh1.83 billion). The fund will invest in assets in sukuk and equity markets around the world.

Earlier this year, the company revealed plans to invest $120m in a number of US-listed healthcare, technology and telecoms companies. It invested Dh184m in New York-listed online travel company Despegar.com in August.

Waha Capital has also invested in companies such as Dubai FinTech firm Channel VAS, Deem Finance, National Energy Services Reunited and Petronash Holdings. It sold its stake in New York aircraft leasing company AerCap last year in a deal that generated net cash proceeds of Dh933m.

Waha Capital carried out a review of its business in the second half of last year. The investment company swung to a profit in the second quarter of this year on the back of a higher operating income. Net profit attributable to owners of the company for the period ending June 30 stood at Dh267.2m, compared with a loss of Dh124.3m during the same period last year.

Waha Capital’s investors include pension funds, endowments, sovereign wealth funds and family offices from North America, Europe and the Gulf. The company also invests in its own funds.

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Match info

Who: India v Afghanistan
What: One-off Test match, Bengaluru
When: June 14 to 18
TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD, 8am starts
Online: OSN Play (subscribers only)

What is Reform?

Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.

It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.

Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.

After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.

Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.

The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.

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While you're here
Company profile

Name: Dukkantek 

Started: January 2021 

Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani 

Based: UAE 

Number of employees: 140 

Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service) 

Investment: $5.2 million 

Funding stage: Seed round 

Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office  

The specs: 2019 Lincoln MKC

Price, base / as tested: Dh169,995 / Dh192,045

Engine: Turbocharged, 2.0-litre, in-line four-cylinder

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power: 253hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 389Nm @ 2,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 10.7L / 100km

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

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All matches at the Harare Sports Club:

1st ODI, Wednesday - Zimbabwe won by 7 wickets

2nd ODI, Friday, April 12

3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14

4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16

UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed

Basquiat in Abu Dhabi

One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. 

The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier. 

It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.  

“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. 

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October

Honeymoonish
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The more serious side of specialty coffee

While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.

The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.

Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”

One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.

Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.