Pantheon, a leading global private markets firm with approximately $84bn in assets under management has appointed Firas Mallah as Managing Director and Head of Middle East, and has opened an office in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). The appointment and office opening were announced on 30 September 2026.
Mr Mallah will lead capital formation with sovereign wealth funds, family offices and financial institutions across the region, and reports to Florence Dard, Chief Client Officer. Ms Dard said: "Pantheon reaffirms its commitment to the region and to enhancing relationships we have built with clients across every Gulf country for nearly two decades." Pantheon manages approximately US$84 billion in assets.
Mr Mallah joins from Sagard, where he was Managing Director and Head of MENA. He has more than 23 years of experience in capital formation and investor relations across the Middle East, and holds an MBA from INSEAD. Commenting on his appointment, he said: "The Middle East is one of the fastest-growing sources of capital in private markets, and investors here are increasingly sophisticated."
The opening adds to a run of global private markets managers establishing a regional presence in Abu Dhabi, including EQT's Middle East platform announced in September and Eurazeo's ADGM office announced on 1 October 2026. Arvind Ramamurthy, Chief Market Development Officer at ADGM, said the decision "reflects the continued appeal of ADGM as a destination for leading global private markets firms."
Pantheon's Abu Dhabi office is located in ADGM, whose financial services firms are regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority.
