Firas Nasir Named Managing Director on New MENA Team

Dubai, UAE - Global private equity firm The Carlyle Group today announced that Firas Nasir will join the new Middle East and North Africa (MENA) team as a Managing Director advising on investments in the Middle East. Mr. Nasir was previously Executive Director at UBS Investment Bank. He will be based in Dubai.

Managing Director and Head of the MENA team Walid Musallam said, "Nasir brings world-class transactional knowledge and a global perspective to this new position. He has a track record of success, a keen understanding of deal sourcing and financing and a breadth of sector expertise. With his joining, our senior management team is now in place."

Mr. Nasir said, "I am thrilled to join such a high caliber global firm as The Carlyle Group. There is significant investment potential throughout the Middle East and I look forward to turning these possibilities into successes for our investors."

Carlyle's MENA team will invest primarily in healthy, growing companies. From offices in Cairo, Dubai and Istanbul, the team will leverage Carlyle's expertise in various sectors, including energy, financial services, healthcare, industrial, infrastructure, technology and transportation.

Mr. Nasir will advise on Carlyle's investment activities in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE. Carlyle recently announced the additions of Can Deldag as Managing Director in Turkey and Hassan El-Khatib as Managing Director in Egypt. Investments are expected to include leveraged buyouts, growth capital, majority and minority stakes in private companies and stakes in public companies.

Mr. Nasir spent 10 years as an investment banker advising companies throughout North America and Europe on dozens of M&Amp;A transactions valued at $40 billion, and in raising more than $10 billion in equity, high yield and investment-grade debt. He also spent five years helping develop Middle East-based power and industrial projects. He joins Carlyle from UBS Investment Bank where he was Executive Director. Prior to that, Mr. Nasir worked at Credit Suisse First Boston, most recently as Vice President of M&Amp;A. He began his career at Arabian BEMCO, most recently as a Project Development Manager.

Mr. Nasir earned his M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, M.S. from Columbia University and B.S. from Rutgers University.