NEW YORK & RIYADH, Saudi Arabia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Z Capital Group (“ZCG”), a leading privately held merchant bank, will embark on a strategic global expansion, focusing on new investment opportunities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (the “Kingdom”). ZCG will introduce a direct lending strategy in the first quarter of 2025, focused on originating loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Kingdom. This strategy will focus on high-growth businesses with experienced management teams, and will offer a suite of scalable capital solutions, including secured term loans, revolving facilities, and mezzanine loans.

In addition to its commitment to the Kingdom through its direct lending strategy, ZCG plans to allocate approximately $1 billion in the region through its core private equity, private credit, and infrastructure strategies.

In a further commitment to the region, ZCG is also establishing a regional office in Riyadh to serve as its headquarters for Middle East and North Africa operations. This new office will enable ZCG to engage with local businesses and partners and will support ZCG’s objective to foster economic growth across the Kingdom.

Mohammed Aldekmary has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer - ZCG Arabia to lead the new Riyadh office and oversee activities across all business verticals of ZCG across the Kingdom and the broader region, including asset management, consulting, and technology solutions. Mr. Aldekmary brings a substantial background in the region, having previously served as a Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (“MISA”), where he was responsible for initiatives aimed at expanding investments and funding into the Saudi economy.

“ZCG appreciates the support from MISA over the last year and we look forward to cooperating in the future as we facilitate critical growth capital solutions to SMEs across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said James Zenni, Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of ZCG. “At a time when SMEs in Saudi Arabia are vastly underserved by financing resources, we believe our commitment can have a transformative impact on high-growth businesses while delivering strong returns for our investors. We look forward to thoughtfully expanding our presence in this key international market.”

“Our expansion into the Middle East and North Africa region reflects ZCG’s deep commitment to fostering economic growth and supporting the development of high-potential businesses,” said Mohammed Aldekmary, Chief Executive Officer - ZCG Arabia. “By offering tailored capital solutions to SMEs and establishing a strong local presence in Riyadh, we are positioned to drive impactful change and long-term value for both the Kingdom and our investors.”

ZCG’s commitment to invest in the region with MISA’s cooperation and the establishment of a regional office in Riyadh mark key milestones in ZCG’s global expansion and reinforces the firm’s dedication to economic development in the Kingdom.

About ZCG

ZCG is a leading, privately held merchant bank comprised of three dynamic, cross-disciplinary platforms: private markets asset management, business consulting services, and technology development and solutions.

ZCG’s investors are some of the largest and most sophisticated global institutional investors including pension funds, endowments, foundations, sovereign wealth funds, central banks, and insurance companies.

For almost 30 years, ZCG Principals have invested tens of billions of dollars of capital.

ZCG has a global team comprised of approximately 400 professionals. The company is headquartered in New York, with affiliate offices located in Pune and Mumbai, India, and Riyadh, KSA. For more information on ZCG, please visit www.zcg.com.