Rawdat Capital and Guolian Industry Investment Fund Management sign strategic partnership - The24X7News

DOHA, QATAR / BEIJING, CHINA — Rawdat Capital, a Qatari venture capital firm and the first investment platform dedicated to connecting China’s artificial intelligence and deep technology ecosystem with the GCC and wider MENA region, has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Guolian Industry Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd., one of China’s leading private equity and industrial investment managers. The agreement establishes a long-term framework to identify, invest in and support high-growth Chinese technology companies while facilitating their expansion into the Gulf and creating new pathways for innovation, capital formation and technology transfer between China and the Middle East.

"Our partnership with Guolian represents an important milestone in building Rawdat Capital’s China-MENA investment platform. Beyond capital, Guolian brings deep relationships across China’s innovation ecosystem, access to high-quality investment opportunities and significant local market expertise. Together with our strategic partnership with Sinovation Ventures, we are creating a differentiated platform that connects capital, AI expertise, market access and investment opportunities across China and the MENA region," said Dalia Al Khalaf, Co‑Founder of Rawdat Capital.

The MoU sets out a cooperative structure focused on sourcing, diligencing and supporting companies operating in AI and deep technology, and facilitating their cross-border growth. The partnership explicitly targets several high-growth sectors, including:

• Artificial intelligence
• Healthcare and life sciences
• Education
• Agritech and food security
• Sustainability and climate technologies
• Advanced manufacturing
• Digital infrastructure

Under the agreement, Guolian will provide access to proprietary deal flow and leverage its extensive investment network across China’s innovation ecosystem. Rawdat Capital will deploy its regional investor network and market expertise in the GCC and wider MENA region to support portfolio companies seeking expansion opportunities. The partnership forms part of Rawdat Capital’s broader China–MENA investment platform, through which the firm is establishing and managing a dedicated China–MENA AI and deep technology fund.

The Rawdat-managed fund will focus on investing in high-potential AI and technology companies across both China and the MENA region, with the stated aims of supporting cross-border growth, enabling technology transfer and catalysing innovation. Guolian is expected to invest in the fund and to co-invest alongside future institutional and qualified investors, signalling an alignment of interests between the Chinese and regional partners.

Rawdat Capital has previously announced strategic ties with Sinovation Ventures, and the new MoU with Guolian is presented as complementary to that relationship, widening access to Chinese deal flow and local market insight. The partnership intends to curate a pipeline of high-growth Chinese companies that are well-positioned for expansion into Gulf markets, while also offering regional investors exposure to early and growth-stage technology opportunities sourced in China.

Looking ahead, the two firms plan to operationalise the MoU by identifying target companies, structuring cross-border investments and facilitating operational support for market entry into the GCC and MENA. The strategic platform aims to attract participation from institutional and qualified investors, with Rawdat and Guolian positioned to co-invest and provide on-the-ground support to portfolio companies pursuing growth in the Middle East.