HarbourVest Partners, an independent private markets asset manager with more than $147 billion assets under management (as of March 31, 2025), announced the opening of its office in ADGM, the International Financial Centre (IFC) of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The expansion underscores the firm’s commitment to the Middle East and its focus on supporting institutional and private wealth clients in the region.
Reda Zebdi has been hired as the Head of Middle East, HarbourVest Partners and will lead the new office. He joins from King Street, where he worked as MD and Head of the Middle East office.
Prior to that, he held senior roles at BlackRock, which includes serving as the Head of Institutional and Wealth Sales, GCC. In this latest role, Reda will be responsible for overseeing investor relations and deliver HarbourVest’s private markets solutions to investors.
As HarbourVest continues to expand its footprint in the region, the company now expects to make additional hires in order to support its client base and strengthen local engagement.
The office, situated in the Al Maryah Tower in ADGM Square, is HarbourVest’s sixth office in the EMEA region and its fifteenth internationally.
The firm has been active in the Middle East region for more than 40 years, managing capital for a range of investors such as sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, family offices, as well as private banking institutions.
David Atterbury, Managing Director and Head of EMEA, HarbourVest Partners:
“Establishing a permanent presence in Abu Dhabi, a key financial centre in the Middle East, reflects our deep commitment to the region.”
Arvind Ramamurthy, Chief Market Development Officer of ADGM said,
“With decades of global private markets expertise, the firm will bring valuable capabilities to regional investors, reinforce the UAE’s position as a leading hub for asset and wealth management, and support broader economic diversification and growth.”
Reda Zebdi, Managing Director and Head of Middle East, HarbourVest Partners:
“There is significant and growing demand in the Middle East for high-quality alternative investment strategies.”
