Exclusive: Investcorp readies for deluge of Gulf infrastructure deals

The scale of the buildout for redundancies and alternatives in the wake of the Iran war is set to open up a bigger role for private investors, according to CEO Rishi Kapoor. Investcorp, one of the Gulf’s largest asset managers, is preparing for a spree of infrastructure deals in the region as governments look for new ways to finance massive investment plans to reduce their reliance on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Gulf states will be more open to partnering with investment funds to pay for new infrastructure projects in the future as they look to preserve cash, Investcorp chief investment officer Rishi Kapoor told Semafor.

These funds have become more active in the Gulf in recent years as governments and state-owned companies seek to raise money by selling stakes in oil pipelines and other assets that for decades have been kept under state control. The scale of the buildout in new infrastructure needed in the wake of the Iran war is set to open up a bigger role for private investors. “One of the really attractive investment themes unfolding in the Gulf in coming years will be the renewed focus on building resiliency into essential infrastructure,” Kapoor said.

Investcorp already has several deals to acquire Gulf infrastructure assets in the works and could look to raise a new infrastructure fund in the next year or two to help it boost dealmaking.