Global investment firm KKR has named David Petraeus (LinkedIn) as chair of KKR Middle East, the company said in a press release (pdf). Retired US army general and former director of the CIA between 2011 and 2012, Petraeus will “leverage his extensive Middle East knowledge and stakeholder relationships to strengthen KKR’s presence and partnerships in the region” as the region emerges as a “leading investment powerhouse,” according to Petraeus. He is a partner at KKR and chairman of KKR Global Institute.

KKR is also establishing a team, led by KKR’s Julian Barratt-Due (LinkedIn), to focus on potential investments in the GCC, similar to its recent move to acquire a stake in the Gulf Data Hub. The new team will be based out of Dubai, and comes amid the firm’s increasing focus on infrastructure, private credit, and asset-backed lending, the Financial Times reports. The firm sees “growing [potential]” to invest in and lend to “domestic businesses” in the region, Petraeus said.

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