Mustafa Abdel-Wadood

Mustafa Abdel-Wadood is a private investor with a notable background in private equity and investment management. He served as a managing partner at the Abraaj Group, one of the largest private equity firms in the Middle East, from July 2006 until February 2018. During his tenure, he held various significant roles, including Global Head of Private Equity and Senior Executive Officer of Abraaj Capital Limited.13

Abdel-Wadood's career took a controversial turn when Abraaj faced allegations of financial misconduct, leading to its eventual liquidation in 2019. He was implicated in serious breaches of financial regulations, including the misuse of investor funds and misleading investors about the firm's financial health. In November 2021, he was fined approximately $1.9 million by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) for his involvement in these activities and was prohibited from performing any financial services functions within the Dubai International Financial Centre.123

In addition to his regulatory penalties, Abdel-Wadood has faced criminal charges in the United States related to fraud and misappropriation of funds. He pleaded guilty to these charges, admitting to having allowed the overstatement of Abraaj's financial position.43 His legal troubles stemmed from actions taken while managing funds that were later found to be significantly overvalued, particularly affecting investments made by high-profile entities like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.43

Before his involvement with Abraaj, Abdel-Wadood earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the American University in Cairo and an MBA from Georgetown University. His professional experience spans various roles in investment management and corporate finance across the Middle East.4 Despite his current status as a private investor, his legacy is heavily marked by the controversies surrounding his time at Abraaj.