Merak Capital

Abdulrahman Bin Mutrib is a co-founder and chairman of the board of Merak Capital, and serves as Chief Technology Officer at both Qiddiya Investment Company and the Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN). He previously held the roles of Executive Vice President and CTO at Seera Group (formerly Al Tayyar Group) and was part of the founding team of GO Telecom (Etihad Atheeb Telecom), where he sat on the executive council. He holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems from The American University in Washington, D.C.

Othman Alhokail is a co-founder, vice chairman, and shareholder at Merak Capital, with over 18 years of experience across technology and investment gained through work with government and private entities. He founded and manages KCC Group, a holding company focused on technical contracting and trade serving public and semi-governmental clients in Saudi Arabia. He previously led business development for EY and Thomson Reuters in Saudi Arabia, and holds a BA in Finance from King Saud University and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin.

Amr AlJallal is a Partner and Board Member at Merak Capital, with over 20 years of experience across banking, investment, and leadership. He currently serves as Managing Director and CEO of Namara, the family office of Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib, and has held leadership roles at Jadwa Investment, Saudi Fransi Capital, and the Capital Market Authority. He holds an MBA from the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University and a bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.

Mohannad Alfayez is a Partner at Merak Capital, a Capital Market Authority–licensed investment firm supporting Saudi Arabia's innovation economy. He has more than 15 years of experience in finance, investment, and strategic growth, focusing on capital formation and fund development. Before joining Merak, he co-founded FJR Mediterranean HealthCare Investment Group and served as Chief Sales Officer at Elite Insurance Brokerage. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the Lebanese American University and holds CME 1, CME 4, CME 5, and IFCE certifications.

Martin Große Frie is an Operating Partner at Merak Capital, where he focuses on growth and operations across the firm's portfolio companies. He is responsible for Master Works, a provider of digital transformation solutions, and Jisr HR Platform, an HR technology company, both of which have secured funding rounds with Merak Capital.

Abdlaziz Alsaid is a Senior Director at Merak Capital, where he leads the private equity team and contributes to shaping and executing the firm's investment strategy. Before joining Merak Capital, he worked as a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and KPMG Middle East in financial advisory services. He holds a BSBA in Finance and Accounting from High Point University in North Carolina, USA, and has completed CME 1, CME 4 (ICWIM), and CME 5 certifications.

Abdulelah Alshareef is a Senior Director at Merak Capital, where he leads the venture capital team and contributes to defining and executing the firm's investment strategy. He has a background in the technology sector and focuses on identifying and scaling innovative companies within the digital economy, including emerging technologies and platform-based business models. He holds a bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from King Saud University and holds CME 1, CME 4 (ICWIM), and CME5 certifications.

Omar Alireza is Vice President of Private Credit at Merak Capital, where he works on deal execution, investment strategy, and portfolio management. He previously led investment strategy and deal execution at Ejada Capital in Riyadh and advised on funds at Alteia Fund Management, contributing to private credit and structured finance projects. He holds a BA (Hons) in Accounting and Finance from the University of Exeter, a Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP University, and an LPC with an MSc in Law, Business and Management from the University of Law, and is an FCCA.

Vignesh Shanker is Senior Director of Real Assets at Merak Capital, where he leads the origination, evaluation, and execution of real asset deals across Saudi Arabia and the GCC. He has over sixteen years of investment experience spanning real assets, private equity, fixed income, and corporate finance across the GCC, India, and the UK. Before Merak, he served as Head of Global Real Estate at Bank Muscat and previously held investment roles at TVS Capital and Aditya Birla Private Equity in India. He holds an MBA in Finance and Strategy from XLRI Jamshedpur, is a Chartered Accountant, and earned a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Madras.

Ron Eastman joined Essex Woodlands (EW) in 2006 and was a Managing Director across multiple funds before becoming a Senior Advisor in 2021. He has decades of experience building healthcare businesses, beginning at American Cyanamid Company and later serving as CEO of Geron and leading Rinat Neuroscience, a Genentech spinout acquired by Pfizer in 2006. He holds a B.A. from Williams College and an M.B.A. from Columbia University.

Abdulrahman Althaydi is Vice President of Capital Formation at Merak Capital, where he leads fundraising, investor relations, and the development of investment products across private equity, venture capital, and private credit. Before joining Merak, he was a Private Allocator at Saudi National Bank (SNB), managing a diversified portfolio spanning private equity, private credit, real assets, and co-investments, and handling fund selection and direct deal evaluation. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance from Rowan University and a diploma in finance and banking management from the Riyadh Institute of Banking, along with CME-1 and CME-4 (IWIM) certifications.

Akram Hashem is the Marketing Director at Merak, with over 20 years of experience in marketing, brand transformation, and customer experience across financial services, tourism, government, and consulting. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance and information systems from Fairleigh Dickinson University (USA) and completed executive education programs at INSEAD and the Disney Institute. He authored the book "The Customer Experience Journey – From Insight to Impact."

Albaraa Bassuny is the People and Culture Director at Merak Capital, with over 12 years of HR experience spanning the FMCG, aviation, hospitality, IT, and gaming sectors. His work has included talent acquisition for more than 600 hires, deployment of ERP HR modules including Odoo, IFS, and Oracle Fusion, and the implementation of performance management, succession planning, and employee engagement programs. He holds CIPD Level 5, CHRBP, and C-KPI certifications, and has worked within Saudi regulatory frameworks including SAMA, NCA, PDPL, and NDMO.

Ammar Khalid Azhari is Director of Technology at Merak Capital, where his work covers technology strategy and IT governance. He has more than 10 years of experience in information and technology, with a focus on regulated network security, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies.

Basel Alfraihi is an independent board member and chairman of the audit committee at Merak Capital. He currently serves as a senior vice president in the tax department within the finance division of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), where he oversees tax and zakat matters for portfolio companies and manages the relationship with the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA). He also contributed to establishing the corporate governance function at PIF.

Faisal Sedrani is CEO of Exel, where he works on building scalable startup ecosystems in Saudi Arabia and designing innovation programs that help startups enter the Saudi market. He is co-founder of Smart Deer Co., an EnvoTech robotics company addressing desertification, and founder of Jewelern, a digital jewelry brand, and previously held a leadership role at AstroLabs supporting global entrepreneurs entering the Saudi market. He holds an MBA in Marketing Intelligence and Big Data from the University of Gloucestershire, a bachelor's in architecture from King Saud University, and PMP and CMI certifications.

Hussam Al Ghamdi is an Operating Partner at Merak Capital, where he works with portfolio company leadership teams on growth and operational matters. His current responsibilities include Master Works, a provider of digital transformation solutions, and Jisr HR Platform, an HR technology company, both of which have secured funding rounds with Merak Capital.

Rema Alyahya is VP of venture capital portfolio management at Merak Capital, where she leads post-investment strategy and execution across the firm's venture funds, overseeing portfolio company performance, reporting, and follow-on rounds for more than 30 companies. Before Merak, she was head of strategy at SRMG and later helped launch and run operations at SRMG Ventures. Earlier in her career she worked at Boston tech companies including Wise Systems and SmartBear Software, and she holds a BS in business administration (entrepreneurship and new venture management) from Northeastern University.

Sarah Ghazal is the Chief Operating Officer at Merak Capital, where she leads the firm's operating model and investment operations and works with technology teams to build a scalable, institutional investment platform. She has more than 18 years of experience in investment management and financial services, focused on building scalable operating models, strengthening governance, and developing operational infrastructure. Before Merak Capital she held leadership roles at BlackRock in London and previously worked at J.P. Morgan, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Deloitte LLP; she holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and finance from the American University of Beirut.

Saud Alarifi is Director of Governance, Risk, and Compliance at Merak Capital, a position he took up in December 2024, where he leads firm-wide compliance, enterprise risk management, and governance frameworks with a focus on AML/CFT and regulatory engagement. He previously held Head of Compliance & AML roles at Ejada Capital and GFH Capital Saudi Arabia, and earlier worked as a Compliance Officer at Sulaiman Al Rajhi Holding Company as well as at Saudi Venture Capital, Middle East Financial Investment Company, BMG Financial Company, and Elm Company. He holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Communication from Bowie State University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from King Abdulaziz University, along with CME-1, CME-2, CCO, and GRCP certifications.

Siddique Khan is Chief Financial Officer at Merak Capital and previously founded and led Qubic Capital in the United States. His earlier career spanned investment strategy, sell-side M&A, and business valuation for M&A and private equity deals at KPMG and Aon in the UK and US, including work on institutional investment and hedging strategies for portfolios up to $7.5 billion. He holds a BSc in Economics and Mathematics from Newcastle University, with a summer term at Stanford University.

Faisal Alsharari works on startup growth and ecosystem development. He co-developed the Middle East's first Metaverse Academy in collaboration with Meta and Tuwaiq Academy, and developed skills through the Misk SPARK Fellowship and Startup School in areas including business modeling, MVPs, and fundraising. He focuses on supporting founders and the technology sector in Saudi Arabia.

Kassandra Attara leads innovation programs across the MENA region, focusing on growth and transformation initiatives. She has prior experience at Astro Labs and MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab, with expertise in program design, stakeholder management, and innovation-led growth.

Maha Albaloushi is a finance professional working in accounting and financial operations, currently an Accountant at the digital payments company Geidea, where she supports financial reporting and accounting processes. She previously served as a Junior Accountant at Raqamyah and completed a business consulting internship at EY. She holds an MBA from Al Yamamah University and focuses on finance, fintech, and digital payments.

Ahmed Al Salmi is a Senior Associate at Merak Capital with cross-border investment experience in Oman and Saudi Arabia. His background encompasses private investment execution, valuations, and transactions, supported by engineering training.