Gulf Capital, a regional alternative investment firm, has announced the completion of an investment in private school operator Evolvence Knowledge Investments (EKI) through Gulf Credit Partners, its regional fund.

EKI engages in the establishment and operation of private schools and nurseries in the GCC including the Repton School Dubai, in partnership with Repton School in the UK, a Derbyshire-based independent school with more than 450 years of education excellence, a report in the Gulf Daily News, our sister newspaper, said.

Gulf Credit Partners provides financing to fast-growing companies in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey.

"Gulf Credit Partners' investment will help EKI achieve its ambitious growth plans at an exciting time for the GCC's emerging education sector," Gulf Capital chief executive Dr Karim El Solh said.

"EKI's positioning in the defensive and fast growing education sector as well as its sound strategy and experienced management team are strongly aligned with our fund's strategy.

"Gulf Capital has been an active investor in defensive sectors such as power, water, healthcare and food and this latest investment in education will complement our existing portfolio of defensive investments," Dr El Solh added.

EKI co-founder and chairman Khaled Almheiri said the institutional investment by Gulf Capital would assist the company in achieving its growth plans and expanding its education platform across the region.

Gulf Credit Partners managing director Walid Cherif said EKI has grown its education platform.

"We are also thrilled with this sixth investment of the fund and its success in deploying more than 60 per cent of its capital in thriving and growing businesses," he said.

"The structural flexibility we offer has been an integral factor behind our success so far. "We believe we provide a degree of flexibility generally unavailable in the marketplace, which is both timely and extremely valuable to mid-market companies. "It also provides an alternative form of financing in a variety of situations, including private equity acquisitions as well as company growth financing," he added. - TradeArabia News Service