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Starling Group (Jawa Family Office)
Starling Group manages $1.5B for the Jawa family through direct private equity, real estate and venture commitments across North America, Europe and the...
Starling Group (Jawa Family Office)
Ahmed bin Jamal Jawa established Starling Group in 1986 after building an initial fortune through Disney Jawa Enterprises. The office continues under second-generation leadership with Jamal Ahmed Jawa serving as CEO and Mohammed Ahmed Jawa as President. Wealth originated from consumer-product licensing and expanded through trading platforms and real-estate partnerships. Starling Group allocates across private equity, real estate, private credit and venture capital. It executes direct co-investments and SPV structures alongside fund commitments. Confirmed holdings include stakes tied to Emaar Properties developments such as Burj Khalifa and Downtown Dubai, plus projects in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt. Geographic reach spans North America, Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia. The office has also backed Sapphire Maritime Holding, co-founded by Jamal Ahmed Jawa and Mohammed Ahmed Jawa with external partners. The firm lists no public headcount. It maintains board seats at Emaar Properties PJSC and Emaar Development PJSC through Ahmed Jamal Hassan Jawa. Adjacent vehicles include the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties Foundation and the CSR UAE Fund. In 1996 Ahmed Jawa received recognition as a World Economic Forum Global Leader of Tomorrow. Starling Group operates with a hybrid mandate that combines family-office capital with long-standing operating-company relationships, notably its historical Disney licensing platform and ongoing Emaar board roles. This structure supplies proprietary access to real-estate and infrastructure opportunities in the GCC that remain unavailable to pure financial investors.
General information
Firm type
Single Family Office
Year founded
1986
AUM
1500 (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
Asia
Country
United Arab Emirates
City
Dubai
Corporate office
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Principals
Ahmed bin Jamal Jawa
Founder and Chairman
Jamal Ahmed Jawa
CEO and Partner
Mohammed Ahmed Jawa
President and Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Starling Group?
Ahmed bin Jamal Jawa serves as Founder and Chairman. Jamal Ahmed Jawa acts as CEO and Partner while Mohammed Ahmed Jawa serves as President and Partner. Decisions flow through these three family principals.
How does Starling Group source proprietary deal flow?
The office draws on board seats at Emaar Properties and Emaar Development plus historical operating partnerships such as Disney Jawa Enterprises. These relationships generate direct access to real-estate and infrastructure opportunities in the GCC.
Does Starling Group participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The firm executes both direct co-investments through SPVs and commitments to external funds. It also maintains private-credit and real-estate positions alongside these structures.
What investment stages does Starling Group typically target?
The office targets buyout, early-stage, late-stage, seed and venture capital opportunities. It avoids distressed, hedge-fund and secondaries strategies.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
Wealth originated from Ahmed bin Jamal Jawa’s licensing of Walt Disney consumer products in the Middle East during the 1980s, followed by expansion into trading and private equity.
Does Starling Group maintain philanthropic structures?
Yes. The office supports the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties Foundation and the CSR UAE Fund. These vehicles operate separately from investment activities.
What is Starling Group’s known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?
The firm regularly joins direct co-investments and club deals, particularly in real estate and maritime assets. Examples include Sapphire Maritime Holding formed with external partners.
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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