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A.M. Yateem Brothers
A.M. Yateem Brothers was founded in 1910 in Manama, Bahrain, when Ahmed Ali Yateem opened one of the country's first optical shops and pharmacies.
A.M. Yateem Brothers
A.M. Yateem Brothers was founded in 1910 in Manama, Bahrain, when Ahmed Ali Yateem opened one of the country's first optical shops and pharmacies. His son, Abdulla Ali Yateem, expanded the group's footprint regionally. The wealth that drives the family office today flows directly from this retail lineage—a century-long optical franchise that now operates under multiple retail brands including Yateem Opticians, Ateliee Optics, and Sun Eye. The family office deploys capital across a mix of asset classes anchored by commercial real estate, private equity, and healthcare services. Real estate holdings include the Yateem Centre in Manama Souq, the Yateem Group's Dubai headquarters in Al Quoz, and the mixed-use Yateem Compound. In 2013, the group monetized a majority stake in its industrial gas subsidiary Yateem Oxygen, selling 51% to Linde plc. The office also participates in direct co-investments and philanthropic vehicles, including the Yateem Mosque Philanthropy and a partnership with Bayan Kanoo in the Al Riwaq Art Space located in the Yateem Centre. The group maintains its optical retail operating company alongside the family office, with nearly 100 outlets across Bahrain, the UAE, and the broader GCC. Hala Ali Husain Yateem holds board positions at National Bank of Bahrain and A.M. Yateem Brothers, representing the family in governance and financial oversight. In 2022, the office opened The Collective Hub in Manama, a mixed-use community space reflecting the family's diversification into lifestyle and property management. The Yateem family is active in the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry and AmCham Bahrain. The Yateem structure is distinct for maintaining a major operating business—the optical retail chain—alongside the family office, with cash flows from the retail operation feeding the investment engine. Unlike family offices that have fully monetized their legacy assets, A.M. Yateem Brothers continues to operate its founding business, creating a direct pipeline between operational earnings and the deployment of capital into real estate and private markets.
General information
Firm type
Single Family Office
Year founded
1910
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Middle East
Country
Bahrain
City
Manama
Corporate office
Manama, Bahrain
Additional offices
Dubai, UAE · Abu Dhabi, UAE
Principals
Nasser Abdulla Yateem
Executive President of Yateem Group
Hala Ali Husain Yateem
Chairperson of NBB; Director at A.M. Yateem Brothers
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the Yateem family's wealth?
The wealth originates from A.M. Yateem Brothers' optical retail and pharmacy business, launched in Manama, Bahrain, in 1910 by Ahmed Ali Yateem. The group expanded across the Gulf under Abdulla Ali Yateem and entered the UAE market in 1971 under Nasser Abdulla Yateem. Today the retail network spans nearly 100 outlets under brands including Yateem Opticians, Ateliee Optics, and Sun Eye.
Who runs investment decisions at A.M. Yateem Brothers?
The family maintains operational control through its executive leadership. Nasser Abdulla Yateem serves as Executive President of Yateem Group, and Hala Ali Husain Yateem holds governance roles as Chairperson of NBB and Director at A.M. Yateem Brothers. Investment decisions are directed by the family principals rather than a separate professional investment committee.
Is A.M. Yateem Brothers structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a holding company?
It operates as a hybrid. A.M. Yateem Brothers functions as a single-family office consolidating investment, governance, and succession planning, while the Yateem Group continues to run the family's optical retail operating companies. The two entities are intertwined, with retail cash flows feeding the family office's investment activities.
How is the Yateem family office related to Linde plc?
In 2013, Linde plc acquired a 51% stake in Yateem Oxygen, the family's industrial gas subsidiary (per Linde plc, 2013). This transaction monetized a significant portion of the group's industrial holdings while leaving the Yateem family with a retained minority interest.
What is the Al Riwaq Art Space and how is the Yateem family involved?
Al Riwaq Art Space is a Bahrain-based art gallery and cultural venue housed within the Yateem Centre in Manama Souq. It represents a partnership between the Yateem family and Bayan Kanoo. The project reflects a philanthropic and lifestyle investment rather than a core commercial real estate play.
What is the family's known posture on external co-investors?
The family does not publicly market co-investment opportunities to external institutional or high-net-worth investors. The Al Riwaq Art Space partnership with Bayan Kanoo suggests a willingness to collaborate with other regional families on aligned projects, but the core office remains inward-facing.
How is succession handled across five generations?
The group's history names five sons of Abdulla Ali Yateem as the 'core pillars' that hold the group together today. Hala Ali Husain Yateem's role at NBB and A.M. Yateem Brothers indicates that female family members are taking active governance roles. Formal succession structures beyond this public narrative are not disclosed.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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