October GCC Roadshow: Private Credit Powers Regional Growth
Channel’s senior management team spent October across GCC countries engaging clients, borrowers and authorities through meetings and Chatham House-style dinners to explore how private credit can power ambitious regional growth plans.
Over 90 organisations were engaged, representing more than $2 trillion of assets under management in alternative investments, including private credit. Having funded over $1.3 billion of GCC-related private asset-backed credit since 2018, Channel is further expanding its regional footprint.
Saudi Arabia: Strong Demand Meets Tightening Supply
Our meetings in KSA included our Private Credit Dinner Series and one-to-one sessions with leading investors, issuers and key partners. We also attended pre-FII9 dinners with global leaders in finance.
Key findings from Saudi Arabia include:
- Credit and funding demand is outpacing bank deposit growth
- Regulatory capital requirements for banks are increasing in 2026
- Local banks are expected to further tighten lending by up to 20% (Moody’s)
- 82% of our partners are already active in private credit or will enter the market in 2026
- Most private credit strategies are not available in Sharia-compliant formats
- Regulators are seeking continued robust reporting on credit trends
- Risk mitigants such as promissory notes, legal structuring and data analytics support investment
- Four asset-backed deals were announced during our visit
United Arab Emirates: A Market in Its Second Inning
Channel hosted Private Credit Dinner Series events at the Arts Club in Dubai and the Rosewood in ADGM with 52 partners managing over $2.5 trillion in AUM. Attendees included leading investors (sovereign wealth funds, institutions, banks, wealth managers and family offices), issuers (innovation economy and specialty finance firms) and partners across this economy.
Key insights from the UAE include:
- Participants believe GCC private credit has the potential to grow to $5 billion by next year, representing approximately 25% growth
- The FY2030 estimate for the local market is $12 billion
- Key growth areas within asset-backed credit include SME funding, revenue financing, buy now pay later and trade financing for free-zone entities
- Only a handful of private credit asset managers are currently deploying in the GCC market, but this number is expected to grow with new entrants and local investors forming partnerships with experienced credit players
- Dinner guests agreed that the UAE is in the second inning of the private credit lifecycle (using the American baseball analogy of 1-9 innings), though many cautioned it would likely mature quickly
Looking Ahead
Specialty finance issuers and investors in the GCC region are key partners for Channel. We are grateful to all attendees for their contributions to this roadshow. For any questions about private credit and asset-based lending to the innovation economy and specialty finance sectors, please contact our team.
About Channel
Channel is a leading global alternative asset manager with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across asset-based lending solutions to the innovation economy and specialty finance sectors. Since 2007, our investing expertise has served the financial return needs of our clients and provided businesses with innovative debt capital solutions for growth. As of September 30, 2025, Channel had approximately $26 billion in cumulative capital invested and facilitated financing in over 35 countries. For more information, please visit www.channelcapital.io.
