Over the past decade, Shaher Moh’d Ali Awartani has put together an investment portfolio that reaches well beyond his original role as co-founder of Silver Coast Construction and Boring LLC (SCCB). A series of co-founded businesses and board positions have given him exposure to private equity, real estate funds, and regulated financial services across three continents. The structure of the portfolio is consistent throughout: institutional co-investors at each point, regulated entities where the activity calls for it, and operations spread across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Geneva, and Washington, D.C.
Equalis Capital: Proprietary Investment in the DIFC
In 2013, Awartani co-founded Equalis Capital Ltd in the Dubai International Financial Centre alongside H.E. Yousif Al Otaiba. Equalis functions as a proprietary investment vehicle, deploying the partners’ own capital rather than managing funds on behalf of external investors. This model supports longer investment timelines and gives the partners more room to make strategic decisions than a standard fund structure would allow.
The firm sits within the DIFC and operates under DFSA regulation, placing it inside one of the Middle East’s most established financial regulatory frameworks. That standing provides a credible basis for engaging with international investors and counterparties who require clear governance structures.
Global Gate Capital: Board Role at a USD 2 Billion Geneva Firm
Awartani joined Global Gate Capital Partners as a shareholder and board member in 2015. The Geneva-based firm manages more than USD 2 billion across real estate and private equity assets. Its base in Geneva reflects a focus on international institutional capital and a position within the European financial system.
Taking a board seat at Global Gate moved Awartani’s investment role from operational management to strategic governance. Providing oversight of a USD 2 billion portfolio across real estate and private equity draws on a different range of skills than running a construction business — including portfolio construction judgement, macroeconomic analysis, and structured risk management.
Yasa Capital: A New DFSA-Regulated Advisory Firm
In 2024, Awartani co-founded Yasa Capital (DIFC) Limited, the newest element of his investment portfolio. The DFSA licences the firm as a Category 4 entity, authorising it to provide investment advisory and arrangement services. This represents Awartani’s first formal entry into the regulated financial advisory sector.
A Category 4 DFSA licence places real demands on applicants. Firms must show strong financial standing, build a working compliance function, and bring in staff with the right qualifications. The fact that Yasa Capital received this licence in 2024 points to Awartani taking a more active role in advising on how institutional capital is deployed across the Gulf and in other markets, drawing on nearly three decades of relationships built through SCCB, Equalis, and Global Gate.