UAE - Mubasher: Witherslack, a UK-based provider of special needs education schools and children’s care homes, plans to expand in the Middle East after Mubadala Capital had acquired a controlling interest in the group last month, the Financial Times reported.
Mubadala Capital, a subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company, bought a majority stake in Witherslack from private equity firm Charme Capital Partners in exchange for £590 million, a source told the Financial Times.
Located in Lupton in Cumbria, the British group operates 18 specialist schools, 18 children’s care homes, and seven integrated learning centres.
Through the acquisition of Witherslack, Mubadala seeks to open facilities in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
With several investments in the healthcare sector, Mubadala’s acquisition of Witherslack is its first investment in the children’s sector.
It is noteworthy to mention that in January 2019, Mubadala acquired Amana Healthcare, the region’s leading provider of long-term care, specialised rehabilitation, and home healthcare services.
