Spear’s Review

Originally from the UK, Imran Sheikh moved to Dubai in 2007 and has since spent nearly two decades advising royals, UHNWs and billionaires on a wide variety of property investment matters.

His firm, BlackOak Global, which he established in 2021, operates across four distinct verticals. ‘We run a transactional brokerage with about 50 agents who have a lot of experience in real estate, dealing with [transactions ranging] from £1 million to £50 million,’ he tells Spear’s. The business also comprises an advisory team that works primarily with governments and family offices on real estate planning, a development arm focused on branded residences, and a fund management team. 

Sheikh’s background working with family offices means his clients are often international families with generational wealth, seeking to expand their real estate portfolios through investment in the GCC region. ‘No matter their prior exposure to the region, I can advise them on the investing landscape,’ he says.