Shorooq opens Doha office, its fourth in the region, after Qatar authorisation
What's the deal? UAE-based investment firm Shorooq has established a presence in Qatar, after Shorooq Doha Advisory Services received initial authorisation from the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Regulatory Authority. It becomes the firm's fourth regional office, joining Riyadh, Bahrain, and Cairo.
Why now? The move follows Shorooq's February launch of a $200 million late-stage growth fund under its Qatalyst Series, backed by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and other institutional investors. The fund targets late-stage and pre-IPO technology companies across the GCC, aiming to close a long-standing growth-capital gap.
What's the endgame? A Doha base lets Shorooq build local relationships and work closely with founders on the ground as they scale. The initial authorisation is a step toward operating locally, not evidence of new deals.
What they're saying: "Qatar is central to how we think about the next phase of growth capital in the region," said Mahmoud Adi, founding partner at Shorooq. The QFC framed the arrival as a sign of "increasing regional confidence in Qatar's investment proposition."
The signal: Qatar is courting outside managers to deepen its venture ecosystem. In October, QIA added growth-equity firm Activate CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → — which is also planning a Doha office — to its $3 billion Fund of Funds, underlining a broader push to anchor foreign capital locally.
Read more: thepeninsulaqatar.com
Image credit: Paul Trafford
