Gaw Capital has opened an office in Saudi Arabia and appointed Khalid AlBihlal as Managing Director of Private Equity for the country as the alternative investment firm expands its presence across the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Based in Riyadh, AlBihlal will lead Gaw Capital’s fundraising and investment activities across alternative investments in Saudi Arabia.
The appointment is intended to strengthen the firm’s long-term presence in one of the Middle East’s fastest-developing investment markets.
AlBihlal brings more than 20 years of experience spanning private equity, venture capital, investment banking, real estate and financial services.
Before joining Gaw Capital, he served as Chief Business Development Officer at Saudi Venture Capital Company.
In that role, he led strategic partnerships, business development, marketing, and corporate communications, while contributing to initiatives to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s venture capital ecosystem.
AlBihlal has also held senior positions at Saudi Mortgage Guarantee Services Company, known as Damanat, S&P Global Ratings, Swicorp, The Abraaj Group and EFG Hermes.
His experience includes fundraising, investments, mergers and acquisitions advisory and institutional investor relations.
The Saudi office follows the launch of Gaw Capital’s GCC Tamkeen Fund earlier in 2026.
The firm intends to continue investing across the GCC, with Saudi Arabia representing a key strategic market for its regional investment platform.
The combination of a dedicated local office and an executive with extensive regional relationships gives Gaw Capital additional infrastructure to source investments, raise capital, and develop institutional partnerships inside the Kingdom.
Gaw Capital said AlBihlal’s local market knowledge and network will support the firm’s broader expansion strategy across alternative investments in the region.
The move also illustrates the continued expansion of global private capital firms into Saudi Arabia as local institutional capital pools grow and the country increases investment across technology, real estate and other alternative asset classes.
