PATRIZIA, a German real asset investment manager, is set to open its first office in the Middle East and North Africa in the United Arab Emirates under the new leadership of an ex-Blackstone executive. 

Jan-Christoph (JC) Klein has been appointed as the firm’s head of global client solutions for MENA to establish PATRIZIA’s first office in the Gulf Cooperation Council region.

Klein, who will be based in Zurich while in Europe, will “further strengthen relationships with existing clients and accelerate the company’s capital raising activities among new institutional and private wealth clients in the Middle East,” according to a company statement. 

He will be reporting to Konrad Finkenzeller, head of global client solutions at PATRIZIA, DealStreetAsia understands.

JC is joining PATRIZIA from investment bank PJT Park Hill; and Blackstone, where he spent eight years and served as managing director for global fundraising for real assets, private equity, and private debt.

The launch of the MENA office will follow PATRIZIA’s new Singapore office last year in addition to its 28 global offices with key capital markets teams located in London, Munich, New York, Seoul, Sydney and Tokyo.