Arzan Investment Management

Talal Al Bahar is the Chairman of Arzan Financial Group and AIM, Vice Chairman of IFA Hotels & Resorts, Vice Chairman and CEO of Aqarat, Board Member of The First Group, and Chairman of United Investments Portugal (UIP), Chairman of United Hospitality Management (UHM), Chairman of YOTEL, Board Member of Boursa Kuwait, Board Member of MIAX Exchange and Board Member of Al Tijaria.

Talal is one of the GCC’s leading figures in real estate investments with over 20 years of experience.

Talal holds a B.B.A. in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University.

Jassem Zainal is the Vice Chairman and CEO of Arzan Financial Group and is the Board Member of AIM. He has over 30 years of experience in different industries. Jassem is a board member of several companies, including Automated System Company, Miami International Holdings INC, Kuwait International Bank, ADDAX Investment Bank, and Bank of Bahrain & Kuwait.

Jassem holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a B.G.S. in Mathematics from Miami University, and an M.S. in Civil Engineering from Kuwait University.

Oliver Hogg leads AIM and is responsible for overseeing the firm’s overall strategy, and sourcing and executing investment opportunities. With over 15 years of global investment experience and more than $1.5B in completed transactions, Oliver brings a deep institutional perspective to capital deployment and portfolio management. Oliver has executed numerous pioneering transactions in real estate and private credit in the GCC through multiple market cycles.

Prior to founding AIM, he served as CEO of a DIFC-based investment manager.  

Oliver holds a B.A. (Hons) in Economics, Politics, and Arabic from Durham University.

Aly Kassam is responsible for investment structuring and execution. He is vastly experienced in structuring complex local and international cross-border transactions and has over 15 years of experience across various jurisdictions.

Aly was previously a partner at a DIFC-based investment manager and before that led the UAE banking and restructuring practice for a prominent global law firm advising on billions of dollars of global investments.

Aly holds a B.A. in Jurisprudence from the University of Oxford.

Hootan Yazhari is a senior finance and investment executive with over 25 years of leadership across capital markets, infrastructure, real estate, and strategic finance.

Prior to joining Arzan, Hootan was CIO at United World Infrastructure, where he partnered with governments and institutional investors to deliver large-scale infrastructure and real estate projects. He also served as CFO of BritishVolt, a start-up in the energy space building the UK’s first gigafactory for advanced batteries. As a Managing Director at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Hootan developed deep expertise in capital management, investment strategy, and financial leadership across global markets.

Hootan holds a B.Sc. in Economics and Accounting from the University of Bristol.

Karim Moolani leads the firm’s US investment strategy. He brings deep experience in credit, equity, and special situations investing.

Prior to joining AIM, he was a Managing Director at Silver Point Capital and previously held roles at Oaktree Capital Management and McKinsey & Company.

Karim holds a B.A. in Finance with honors from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

Fahad Al-Shamlan leads the firm’s real estate development initiatives across key markets. He brings over 12 years of international investment and real estate development experience, having managed projects with a combined valuation exceeding KWD 1.5 billion.

His career spans leadership roles across the Middle East, North America, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and Southern Africa, with expertise in acquisitions, restructuring, and large-scale project delivery. Prior to joining AIM, Fahad held senior positions with Kuwait Real Estate Company and IFA Hotels & Resorts, where he spearheaded landmark projects and cross-border investment strategies.

Fahad holds a B.Arch. and an M.B.A. in Finance & International Business from the University of Miami.

Carlos Leal leads the firm’s hospitality asset management. He brings over 30 years of global real estate experience with a strong track record in investment, development, and asset management, particularly in hospitality and large-scale mixed-use projects.

Prior to joining AIM, Carlos was General Manager of United Investment Portugal, overseeing landmark assets such as Pine Cliffs Resort in the Algarve and the Sheraton Cascais Resort in Lisbon. Earlier in his career, he held senior roles with the Murray & Roberts Group and Nedcor Group in South Africa.

Carlos holds a postgraduate qualification in Management and Business Administration and is a certified Quantity Surveyor.

Hubert Viriot leads the firm’s hospitality strategy and investments. He brings over 25 years of global experience in hospitality, tourism, and real estate, with a strong track record of building and scaling innovative brands.

Prior to joining AIM, he was Chief Executive Officer of YOTEL, where he drove international expansion and transformed the company into a leading tech-forward hotel brand. He previously served as CEO of Raimon Land PLC in Thailand and held senior roles at IFA Hotels & Resorts and HVS.

Hubert holds a B.Sc. in International Management from the University of Wales and a B.Sc. in Hospitality and Tourism Management from the Glion Hotel School in Switzerland.

Michael Fournie leads the firm’s relationships with global capital partners. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the Middle East across academia, private banking, private equity and entrepreneurial ventures in the region.

Prior to joining AIM, he held senior Dubai-based roles in banking and investor relations, including Barclays and Safanad.

Michael holds a B.A. in International Relations from Middlebury College and an M.A. in Arab Studies from Georgetown University.

Tim Campbell brings with him more than 15 years of experience in real estate investment, development, and fund management.

Prior to joining AIM, he was at a DIFC-based investment manager and worked in the UK for large FTSE 100-listed entities as well as private funds. He has transacted over $2 billion of deals in the UK, UAE, and US markets, specializing in the residential and healthcare sectors.

Tim holds a B.Com. and Postgraduate Diploma in Commerce in Finance from University of Otago and The University of Texas at Austin.

Kabir Mirchandani focuses on identifying, structuring, and executing equity and credit transactions across the GCC and US markets. He has over 10 years of experience in global real estate acquisitions.

Prior to joining AIM, he worked in investment roles at BlackRock and Morgan Stanley, among others.

Kabir holds a B.S. in Accounting from St. John’s University and an M.B.A. from London Business School.

Viktor Persson focuses on sourcing and executing GCC and European hospitality opportunities. He has over 10 years of experience working in finance and private equity.

Prior to joining AIM, he worked in investment management at KSL Capital Partners and Realty Corporation.

Viktor holds a B.Sc. in Business Administration from IE Business School.

Adil Mustafa is responsible for finance and operations at AIM, and its funds and special purpose vehicles. He has over 20 years of experience in audit, reporting, financial management, investments, and fund management.

He was previously at a DIFC-based investment manager, prior to that he led the finance function of a UAE publicly listed investment banking entity.

He is a chartered accountant and worked with EY in its audit and assurance practice.