Permira and Blackstone have invested $525m in Dubai-based Property Finder, acquiring a minority stake in one of the Middle East’s leading real estate platforms, Bloomberg reports.

General Atlantic, which first backed the business in 2018, sold part of its stake as part of the deal.

The transaction marks Permira’s debut investment in the region, following the launch of its Dubai office earlier this year. For Blackstone, it continues a long-standing regional strategy that includes investments alongside Gulf sovereign wealth funds and previous deals in sectors such as education and infrastructure.

Founded nearly 20 years ago, Property Finder has grown into one of Dubai’s top real estate classifieds websites, competing with Dubizzle and Bayut, the latter backed by Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners. The company has been broadening its reach across the Middle East, expanding into Qatar, Bahrain, and Egypt, with current growth efforts centred on Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Last year, Property Finder secured $90m in debt financing from Francisco Partners to buy out its first institutional investor. Its growth trajectory comes against the backdrop of a resurgent Dubai housing market, where high-end demand has fuelled record sales but also concerns of overheating.

The investment underscores private equity’s increasing appetite for Middle Eastern digital and real estate platforms, as global firms position themselves closer to sovereign wealth capital and the region’s growth markets.

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