UAE – Mubasher: Zelo, the UAE’s next-generation private-credit platform, has secured $715 million in capital allocation from International Holding Company (IHC) to scale its supply chain financing capabilities across the Middle East region.

The allocation marks one of the largest private credit capital allocations in the region’s business-to-business (B2B) financing space, according to a press release.

Hence, Zelo will be able to expand liquidity access for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating across core sectors of the economy.

Furthermore, it will accelerate Zelo’s deployment strategy, with $1 billion in gross financing volume targeted for 2026.

The platform offers financing to SMEs and mid-market suppliers against receivables owed by government entities, large corporates, and major regional businesses.

Syed Basar Shueb, CEO of IHC, indicated: “Private credit has become one of the fastest-growing asset classes globally. Our commitment to Zelo signals confidence in the region’s ability to originate institutional-grade receivables and to play a larger role in the global private credit market.”

He noted: “This investment enables Zelo to scale its platform and contribute to a more resilient, diversified financial ecosystem in the region.”

Dhanush Arjun, CEO of Zelo, said: “With this milestone allocation, Zelo will continue expanding across the GCC and building a scalable private credit infrastructure platform rooted in predictable, real-economy assets.”

With the Middle East continuing to face a structural $250 billion SME credit gap, Zelo addresses key constraints, including extended payment cycles and limited access to working capital, by offering near-instant liquidity through invoice financing.

It allows suppliers to redeploy trapped working capital into growth initiatives, such as expanding output, taking on larger contracts, and investing in hiring and capacity building.