Abdullah Alajaji

Spear’s Review

Saudi national Abdullah Alajaji is the founder and managing director of Driven Properties, a rapidly expanding property brokerage, investment, management and consultancy firm that is making waves in the Middle East.

A graduate of Pennsylvania State University and London Business School, Alajaji started his career at Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, before joining Samba, one of the largest banks in Saudi Arabia. He went on to establish private equity firm MerchantBridge, where he was instrumental in raising over $800 million for the group’s acquisitions in the region. Satisfying an entrepreneurial streak, Alajaji later co-founded Arab Seed Angels, a network supporting Arab entrepreneurs in early-stage ventures.

Since 2012, Driven Properties has grown to become a leading force in the thriving UAE property scene, with several offices in Dubai and outposts in Riyadh and Shenzhen.

‘I realised there are asset holders and family offices in the region who are not able to receive institutional-grade advice on large assets,’ he previously said of his motivation in founding the firm. ‘This fuelled my belief that we needed a competitive advantage, and that became our institutional and tech-driven approach to property.’