Over the past decade, Shaher Moh’d Ali Awartani has built an investment portfolio that goes well beyond his founding role at Silver Coast Construction and Boring LLC (SCCB). Through a series of co-founded ventures and board-level positions, he has built exposure across private equity, real estate funds, and regulated financial services on three continents. The portfolio follows a clear pattern: institutional co-investors at each point, regulated structures where required, and geographic spread across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Geneva, and Washington, D.C.
Equalis Capital: A Proprietary Platform in the DIFC
In 2013, Awartani co-founded Equalis Capital Ltd in the Dubai International Financial Centre alongside H.E. Yousif Al Otaiba. Equalis is a proprietary investment vehicle, meaning it deploys the partners’ own capital rather than managing money on behalf of third parties. This structure allows for longer investment horizons and more strategic flexibility than a standard fund model provides.
Registration within the DIFC places Equalis under the oversight of the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), one of the region’s leading financial regulators. That regulatory framework supports the governance standards that international counterparties expect when engaging with a serious investment vehicle.
Global Gate Capital: USD 2 Billion Based in Geneva
In 2015, Awartani became a shareholder and board member of Global Gate Capital Partners, a Geneva-based investment management firm with more than USD 2 billion in real estate and private equity assets under management. The Geneva base reflects the firm’s focus on international institutional capital and its place within European financial infrastructure.
Awartani’s board role at Global Gate marked a step forward in his investment activity — from operating executive to strategic governance. Overseeing a USD 2 billion portfolio across real estate and private equity calls for macroeconomic judgement, portfolio construction knowledge, and risk management capability. These are skills that complement, but differ significantly from, running a large construction business.
Yasa Capital: DFSA-Regulated Advisory Launched in 2024
The most recent venture in Awartani’s portfolio is Yasa Capital (DIFC) Limited, co-founded and launched in 2024. The firm is regulated by the DFSA as a Category 4 entity, covering investment advisory and arrangement services. This marks Awartani’s entry into the regulated financial advisory space in a formal capacity.
A Category 4 DFSA licence requires demonstrated financial standing, a functioning compliance infrastructure, and qualified personnel. It is not straightforward to obtain. The launch of Yasa Capital suggests Awartani is building towards a more active role in advising on institutional capital deployment across the Gulf and beyond, drawing on nearly thirty years of relationships developed through SCCB, Equalis, and Global Gate.
