Argaam M_A | Blackstone’s bet

Blackstone’s bet

14^thApril 2026

● Blackstone’s bet: $250 billion on a company with no track record in the UAE

Topics of M&A

Blackstone’s bet: $250 billion on a company with no track record in the UAE

Blackstone's recent bet on digital gaming technology offers a live case study in exactly this shift. In March 2026, Blackstone — one of the world's largest private equity firms — committed $250 million to a newly created company called Advanced Digital Gaming Technology, or ADGT.

Valuation discipline in GCC M&A deals in context of broader market environment

The importance of maintaining valuation discipline in GCC M&A deals is exemplified in two notable transactions that took place in 2025. In the first transaction, adherence to fundamental valuation principles appears to have limited downside risk and supported a more robust strategic rationale

What UAE’s AppliedAI’s Valuation Tells Us About the Future of GCC Tech

The UAE’s AppliedAI has recently completed a pre-Series B finacning by Mubadala’s sovereign MENA VC platform. This bridge round follows a $55 million Series A completed in February 2025, backed by a high-profile syndicate including G42, Bessemer Venture Partners and e&.

M&As in US, Europe and GCC: Analysing Transaction Mindsets that Shape Deal Structures

In today’s M&A environment, deal structuring has become a central lever for both value creation and risk management. In the US and Europe, transactions particularly in the mid-market remain predominantly sponsor-driven, highly leveraged and control focused.

SISCO HOLDING Holding's PSS Acquisition Is a Bet on Future Value, Not Current Earnings

Saudi SISCO HOLDING Holding, through its logistics platform LogiPoint, recently acquired a 51% stake in Public Storage Solutions (PSS).Before outlining out objective analysis, we would first establish the strategic logic behind the bargain.

Why Patient Gulf Investors Hold the Cards in M&A Dealings

In the context of the ongoing Iran conflict, distinguishing short-term market volatility from structural economic impact is essential for investors and dealmakers in the GCC. While heightened uncertainty may slow transaction timelines and increase risk premiums, history shows that dealmaking rarely stops altogether.

Buying Cheap, Building Scale: How Consolidators Are Seizing Saudi Pharmacy's Valuation Divide

United Pharmacies' acquisition of Kunooz for over SAR 100 million is not an isolated transaction — the company's CFO has confirmed two additional deals in the pipeline, one expected to be the largest in the sector's history, with the combined strategy targeting a market share increase from 10% to 13% by end of 2026.