Buthainah Albaity to lead Private Capital & Family Enterprises advisory group.
Knight Frank MENA has appointed Buthainah Albaity as Partner – Head of Private Capital & Family Enterprises to oversee the new division dedicated to consulting high-net-worth individuals, family enterprises and family offices.
Albaity joins the global real estate consultancy from KPMG, bringing with her 18 years of experience across investment banking and consulting. Her expertise spans the full deal cycle, with a focus on the private sector, advising private placements and real estate IPOs.
Her early career at Riyadh-based Swicorp included working on transactions and real estate advisory, including the Private placement and IPO of the Knowledge Economic City Project, supporting the Kingdom’s efforts towards economic diversity.
In 2012, Albaity joined KPMG, where she was responsible for co-founding the Private Enterprise practice for the Saudi Levant Cluster and led the Private Sector Real Estate Strategy offering in the Kingdom. During this time, key projects included acting as the exclusive financial advisor on a SAR 300+ million sale and leaseback of freehold sites for a retail chain; developing the corporate strategy and optimisation for a family-owned real estate portfolio worth SAR 9 billion; and spearheading the 15-year business planning for a major real estate development in Madinah.
Commenting on her recent appointment, Albaity said: “I am delighted to join Knight Frank MENA during this exciting phase of growth and to be entrusted with the leadership of our new Private Capital & Family Enterprises division, where our team will bring together the collective, cross-sector expertise of Knight Frank for clients across the MENA region.”
The Private Capital & Family Enterprises team will serve as the primary point-of-contact for clients such as private investors, family offices and founder-led businesses seeking access to Knight Frank’s full suite of advisory and transactional services. The team will coordinate multi-disciplinary teams to deliver end-to-end consultancy, from opportunity sourcing and acquisition, through deal structuring and asset management, to exit and divestment planning.
General Manager, KSA, Susan Amawi, added: “Welcoming Buthainah to Knight Frank is a pivotal moment in our overall expansion strategy as we continue to grow our footprint and service offering in the Kingdom and wider MENA region. Our new Private Capital & Family Enterprises practice offers a bespoke service for every client, led by a single, dedicated point of contact who unites the diverse expertise from our in-house transactional, consultancy and research teams.”
James Lewis, Managing Director, MEA commented: “The decision to introduce our Private Capital & Family Enterprises solutions group was a natural next step for us as we continue to diversify our service offering and tailor our approach for clients in the MENA region. We are thrilled to have Buthainah onboard to lead the team.”
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