Prime Highlights :
- Arbra Partners plans a new UAE office, expanding its Middle East footprint.
- Founder launches Portugal’s £110 million Palheta eco-tourism resort, opening 2028.
Key Facts :
- Arbra Partners covers asset management, wealth advisory, private markets and special situations.
- Palheta resort spans 300 hectares in Alentejo, designed by architect John Pawson.
Background :
Lucas Bitencourt, founder of London-headquartered wealth advisory firm Arbra Partners, will open a new UAE office by year’s end, growing the firm’s Middle East reach as it also pushes ahead with a major investment project in Portugal.
Bitencourt launched Arbra Partners in 2022 after a decade in family offices, aiming to close gaps he saw in global wealth management. He said investors think globally but often get stuck with locally limited firms, citing a UK investor eyeing Latin America as an example.
The firm covers four areas, asset management, wealth advisory, private market access, and special situations, allocating capital for ultra high net worth individuals and family offices.
Bitencourt said Arbra’s unified approach stands out in a market where deals often drag on for months, adding that the firm works to speed things up.
Based in Mayfair and Geneva, Arbra joins other firms strengthening ties with Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Bitencourt sees strong Gulf opportunity and expects demand for wealth services to hold for decades. KKR and UBS have also grown their Middle East presence recently amid rising demand.
In Portugal, Bitencourt launched the Palheta project, a £110 million ($147 million) eco-tourism resort designed by architect John Pawson across 300 hectares in the Alentejo region.
Plans include a restored 18th century house turned five-star hotel, private villas, cottages, a vineyard, and an amphitheatre, targeting a 2028 opening.
Bitencourt said many people have sought a slower countryside pace since the pandemic, noting rising interest from expats in the US, Brazil, the UK and Europe.
