Private equity group, Abraaj Capital, has raised $375 million from existing shareholders via rights issue or cash call

The Dubai-based buy-out firm will be using the proceeds from the sale to invest in real estate and small businesses starting early 2010.

Abraaj is setting up a $500 million vehicle to invest in regional commercial real estate and a $200 million fund to invest in small and medium-sized enterprises. The firm is also looking at aviation, logistics, education and healthcare sectors in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE for expansion.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission awarded a generating license to Dangote Industry Power Ltd.

Dangote plans to generate 135 megawatts of electricity at the proposed plant out of which 46 megawatts will be consumed by its Obajana Cement plant in the central Nigerian state of Kogi. The remaining 89 megawatts will be sold to the national grid.

The regulator has granted 29 licenses to companies to produce power to boost generation to 6,000 megawatts by the end of this year and 10,000 megawatts by 2011.

Dubai-based private equity firm Saffar Capital is launching a private equity fund

The fund will focus on financial services in the Middle East to take advantage of an improving outlook in the sector.

The fund is the first to be launched by Saffar, which specialises in taking stakes in private equity financial services firms in the region.
Private equity investments are increasingly finding favour in the frontier markets of the Middle East and Africa, as investors once more chase yield in a global environment of low interest rates.

AVCA 8th Annual Conference to be held under auspices of Egypt's Ministry of Investment

Investors and fund managers descend on Cairo for the African Venture Capital Association's (AVCA) 8th Annual Conference, which is due to take place here in Cairo on 15th - 17th of November. The prominence of the conference is such that it will be held under the auspices of Egypt's Ministry of Investment.