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Senwan Foundation
Senwan Foundation was established to steward the Mahfouz family wealth that traces to Sheikh Salem Bin Mahfouz, who founded National Commercial Bank in 1953.
Senwan Foundation
Senwan Foundation was established to steward the Mahfouz family wealth that traces to Sheikh Salem Bin Mahfouz, who founded National Commercial Bank in 1953. Yaser Bin Mahfouz, grandson of the bank founder, serves as Chairman and also chairs SEDCO Holding while holding board seats at Methak Holding and the Albir Society. The office operates from Dubai and follows a long-term strategic asset allocation with defined risk budgets and governance policies. The portfolio mixes liquid and private assets. Liquid holdings include global public equity mandates, REITs, listed infrastructure and investment-grade Sukuks. Private exposure covers buyout, growth and venture capital funds plus direct real estate, infrastructure and natural resources positions. Confirmed strategies include secondaries, GP-led co-investments and joint ventures. Geographic reach centers on North America, Europe and Developed Asia, with additional healthcare real estate activity in Asia-Pacific. Shahid S. Khan, who joined as CEO and CIO in 2024 after heading real assets at Wisayah, oversees execution alongside prior international investments experience at SEDCO Holding. The team comprises three named board members. Mathew Eyton-Jones joined the board in 2024 after serving as CEO of the CERN Pension Fund from 2015 to 2021. Shahid S. Khan holds an MBA from Chicago Booth and is a CFA charterholder. Yaser Bin Mahfouz brings prior experience at Wellington Management, Rockefeller and Crosslink. The firm maintains memberships in the World Economic Forum Expert Community, the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment and the Royal Geographical Society through Khan. No additional offices are disclosed. Senwan Foundation operates as a single-family office with an integrated governance structure that links the family’s operating companies, including SEDCO Holding, to investment decisions. Board appointments in 2024 refreshed leadership while preserving continuity with the founding family’s oversight of the Albir Society investment committee. This architecture allows direct board-level involvement in both philanthropic vehicles and commercial allocations without external manager intermediation on core holdings.
General information
Firm type
Single Family Office
Year founded
2024
Location
Region
Asia
Country
United Arab Emirates
City
Dubai
Corporate office
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Principals
Yaser Bin Mahfouz
Chairman
Shahid S. Khan
CEO | CIO | Board of Director
Mathew Eyton-Jones
Board Member
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Senwan Foundation?
Shahid S. Khan serves as CEO and CIO and sits on the board. Yaser Bin Mahfouz as Chairman and Mathew Eyton-Jones as board member participate in oversight. Khan previously headed international investments at SEDCO Holding and real assets at Wisayah.
How does Senwan Foundation source proprietary deal flow?
The firm commits to private equity, real assets and secondaries through relationships with top-quartile managers. It also executes select GP-led co-investments and joint ventures. Board networks from SEDCO Holding and prior pension fund roles supply additional access.
Does Senwan Foundation participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Senwan deploys across both structures. It holds closed-end private equity and real asset funds while pursuing direct co-investments, SPVs and programmatic joint ventures in real estate and infrastructure.
What investment stages does Senwan Foundation typically target?
The office targets buyout, growth and venture capital stages within private equity. It also allocates to core and non-core real estate and infrastructure across primary and secondary markets.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
The Mahfouz family fortune originates from Sheikh Salem Bin Mahfouz, who founded National Commercial Bank in 1953. Yaser Bin Mahfouz continues family oversight through Senwan Foundation and SEDCO Holding.
Does Senwan Foundation maintain philanthropic structures, and how are they separated?
Yaser Bin Mahfouz chairs the Albir Society investment committee. The society operates alongside the family office with distinct governance while sharing board-level oversight from the same principals.
What is Senwan Foundation's known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?
The firm pursues select GP-led co-investments in private equity and real assets. It also structures joint ventures and SPVs where direct control or enhanced economics are available.
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