Merchant Bank · Est. 2015

Where Gulf capital
meets frontier
opportunity.

Independent advice. No conflicts. Senior execution on every mandate — from origination to close. Built on a decade of coverage at Goldman Sachs and strategic advisory from McKinsey.

$2.6B+
Aggregate transaction value advised
20+
Years of cross-border experience
3
Offices · Dubai · London · Rabat
Dubai — Emirates Towers, Level 42, Sheikh Zayed Road
London — 34 Lombard Rd, SW11 3RF
Rabat — 6 Rue Beni Messaoud, Souissi
00

The Firm

Whitestones Partners is an independent merchant bank founded by former senior bankers from Goldman Sachs and strategy consultants from McKinsey & Company. We combine deep capital markets execution with the structured strategic thinking that defines how the best institutions make decisions.

We operate at the intersection of Gulf sovereign and institutional capital and the frontier markets of North Africa and Europe. Our model is deliberately concentrated. Few mandates. Senior execution on every transaction. No conflict between proprietary activity and client advice — our only asset is our judgment.

With offices in Dubai, London, and Rabat, we bring an irreplaceable knowledge of the MENA–Europe corridor, built across more than two decades of cross-border transactions and strategic engagements. We do not scale through volume. We grow through trust.

“Few mandates. Senior execution. No conflict between proprietary activity and client advice — our only asset is our judgment.”
01

Advisory Services

I.

M&A Advisory

Sell-side and buy-side mandates across MENA, Europe, and Africa. Senior-led from origination to close. Institutional rigour in markets where most advisors bring only relationships.

II.

Capital Markets & Structured Finance

Debt structuring and syndication, private placements, bond issuances, and Sharia-compliant instruments. Financing solutions matched to the complexity of frontier markets.

III.

Sovereign & Institutional Coverage

Built on a decade of senior coverage at Goldman Sachs. Direct access to Gulf capital allocators. We do not intermediate — we advise at the decision-making level.

IV.

Investment Advisory

Sourcing and evaluating cross-border opportunities for sovereign wealth funds and family offices, with particular focus on the MENA–Europe corridor.

V.

Strategy & Transformation

McKinsey-grade advisory for boards and executive teams. Market entry, operating model design, commercial due diligence, and post-acquisition integration.

VI.

FinTech & Digital Advisory

Capital raising, strategic positioning, and M&A for payments, lending, and digital infrastructure businesses across the GCC, North Africa, and Europe.

02

Our People

YK
Youssef Kabbaj
Group Managing Director & Founding Partner
Former Head of Strategic Coverage, EMEA Sovereign Wealth Funds — Goldman Sachs. CEO Middle East & North Africa, Man GLG (Man Group). MIT.
SB
Saad Berrada
Partner — Strategy & Corporate Finance
Former Senior Manager, McKinsey & Company (MENA). Goldman Sachs. CEO & Co-founder, Fairjungle. École Polytechnique · Mines Paris · Sciences Po.
SI
Samir Idris
Partner — Capital Markets & Transactions
Former Engagement Manager, McKinsey & Company. M&A, Société Générale TMT. COO & Co-founder, Fairjungle. École Centrale Paris.
AH
Amar Hami
Partner — Capital Solutions
Former Principal Finance, Merrill Lynch, Nomura & RBS. Subordinated debt fund, Terra Firma Capital Partners. Sorbonne University.
RK
Reda Kabbaj
Partner — Digital & FinTech
Former Junior Partner, McKinsey & Company (7 years). Co-founder, Faktus (€56M raised). HEC Paris · ENSAE.
GB
Ghita Benani
Director — Finance & Analytics
CDG Capital Private Equity, Casablanca. Financial modelling, portfolio analytics, IFRS consolidation, and investor reporting.

Independent advice
on the decisions
that define you.

We engage on a highly selective basis. If you are considering a transaction or seeking strategic counsel, we welcome a confidential conversation.

Dubai
Emirates Towers, Level 42
Sheikh Zayed Road, UAE
London
34 Lombard Rd
London SW11 3RF, United Kingdom
Rabat
6 Rue Beni Messaoud
Souissi, Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco