ABU DHABI, June 13 (Reuters) - Mahmoud Atalla, previouslyco-head of distressed debt and loan trading at HSBC,has left the bank to join Abu Dhabi-based private equity firmGulf Capital, the chief executive of Gulf Capital said onMonday.
Atalla joined the Abu Dhabi firm as managing director forprivate equity in early June, Karim Solh said.
Gulf Capital, one of the biggest private equity firms in theregion, aims to grow its assets under management to $5 billionin the next two to three years from about $3.5 billion now.
The firm is sitting on $1 billion of cash that will bedeployed in Africa, the Gulf or Asia, Solh said, adding thatGulf Capital was looking at three transactions in Saudi Arabiathat would probably be finalised this quarter. (Reporting by Stanley Carvalho, editing by Andrew Torchia)