Global Capital Partners, a subsidiary of Global Investment House, last month launched the Global Buyout Fund, which will invest in companies in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey. The fund will also invest in Asian countries such as China, India and Pakistan, where it may find strong cross-linkage with businesses in the Middle East, according to the firm.

The firm said it decided to launch the fund because of the region’s exchanges having undergone major corrections, which has rationalized valuations of most listed, as well as unlisted, private companies.

“The companies from the region are increasingly looking for cross border acquisitions and business development synergies with international players,” the firm said. “Significant reforms are being carried out in the regional capital markets, with conscious effort by the governments to encourage private entrepreneurship.”

Bear Stearns International and JPMorgan Cazenove are distributing the fund to institutional investors in Asia, Europe and North America.

Global Investment House is a Kuwaiti investment company licensed by the Central Bank of Kuwait. It currently offers private equity, hedge and fixed income funds and managed K$2.1 billion (US$7.3 billion) in total assets as of the end of December 2006.