Baker McKenzie Advised Gulf Data Hub On Strategic Partnership With KKR
Baker McKenzie advised Gulf Data Hub on a strategic $5B partnership with KKR, marking KKR's first data center investment in the Middle East.;
Baker McKenzie Advised Gulf Data Hub on Strategic Partnership with KKR
Global law firm Baker McKenzie has advised Gulf Data Hub (“GDH”), a premier independent carrier and vendor-neutral data center platform in the Middle East, on the sale of a significant stake to global investment firm KKR. This transaction marks a pivotal moment in GDH’s growth trajectory and represents KKR’s first data center investment in the region.
Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Dubai, Gulf Data Hub operates a portfolio of seven state-of-the-art, purpose-built data centers across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with additional projects planned in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. GDH has established itself as a key player in delivering infrastructure to meet the hyperscale demands of the region, which is witnessing rapid data consumption driven by advancements in artificial intelligence.
The deal, which is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, involves KKR and GDH committing over USD 5 billion in total investment to strengthen GDH’s market-leading position and expand its global reach.
Commenting on the landmark transaction, Abeer Jarrar, lead Corporate M&A Partner at Baker McKenzie UAE, said: “We are thrilled to have supported the GDH team in this strategic deal. The data center sector has experienced significant growth, especially after the global COVID-19 pandemic, and the surge in AI and cloud computing demand. This transaction highlights the region's importance in the global digital economy and underscores our team’s expertise. Congratulations to all involved.”
J.P. Morgan acted as sell-side advisors for the transaction.
The multi-disciplinary team at Baker McKenzie was led by UAE-based Corporate M&A Partner Abeer Jarrar, alongside Corporate Finance and TMT Partners George Marshall, David Hart, and Anne Petterd. The core team also included Associates Luke Hackett, Jacob Turner, and Nicole Galledari.
Baker McKenzie’s advisory to GDH covered all aspects of the transaction, leveraging expertise from across various practice areas, including Corporate M&A, Private Equity, Funds, Banking, Real Estate, Antitrust, Disputes and Investigations, Intellectual Property, Infrastructure, Technology and Digital, Tax, and Employment.
The wider team at Baker McKenzie also included:
- Corporate M&A: Tamim AlKhudhayri (Partner, Riyadh), James Burdett (Partner, Abu Dhabi), Jack Bliss (Associate, London), Neda Bahador (Associate, Dubai), Ethan McAuliffe (Associate, London), Ziad Raheb (Senior Associate, Jeddah), Mohammad AlZibdeh (Associate, Dubai)
- Antitrust: David Monnier (Partner, Riyadh), Marwan Othman (Associate, Riyadh), Ruwaa AlAbdullatif (Trainee Associate, Riyadh)
- Banking and Finance: Adil Hussein (Partner, Dubai), Chaya Gupta (Senior Associate, Dubai)
- Employment: Joanna Matthews-Taylor (Partner, Dubai), Aqsa Sadiq (Senior Associate, Dubai), Mark Tedeschi (Associate, Dubai)
- Real Estate: Keri Watkins (Partner, Dubai), Ali Amir (Senior Associate, Dubai), Tessa Crawford (Associate, Dubai), Anna George (Associate, Dubai), Jana Al-Afoo (Associate, Bahrain)
- ADR: Luka Kristovic-Blazevic (Partner, Dubai), Richard Molesworth (Counsel, London), Marlize Dumas (Associate, Dubai)
- Tax: Reggie Mezu (Senior Counsel, Dubai), Ben Phillips (Senior Associate, Dubai), Fewa Olu-Martins (Associate, London)
- TMT and IP: Dino Wilkinson (Partner, Abu Dhabi), Simone Blackadder (Special Counsel, Sydney), Kirsten Foley (Associate, Sydney), Alison Chen (Associate, Sydney), Maher Ghalloussi (Associate, Dubai)