Global experience combined with local expertise
About us
Elite Capital is a DFSA-authorised private equity firm based in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).The Elite Capital team has over 80 years of professional experience, which combines deep global fund management expertise and strategic local real estate knowledge . We focus on investing in high-quality real assets while supporting the growth and vitality of the communities they serve.
Our values
Our team
Vimal Jain
Chief Executive Officer
25+ years' professional experience
Senior roles with Henderson Global Investors, EY, IL&FS, Gresham House and Downing LLP
MBA (Dean's List) from London Business School
Chartered Accountant (Institute of Chartered Accountants of India)
Samim Sakhi
Executive Director
15+ years' professional experience
Leads investment strategy at Elite Developments covering full-cycle project execution, from land acquisition through to development
Experience managing multiple medical facilities across Ontario
Tom Arnold
Senior Advisor
20+ years’ professional experience
Senior roles with Sweid, Middle East Family Offices, Investbridge Capital and PwC
MSc in International Real Estate; BA in Economics
Susan Mansuri
Legal & Corporate Development Manager
5+ years’ professional legal experience
Roles with top tier corporate law firm and various investment fund managers in Toronto
Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School; Hon. BA Political Science (Specialization in Political Economy)
Amir Banaga
Investment Partnerships & Corporate Development Manager
10+ years’ professional experience
Roles across multinational retail groups, hospitality developers, aerospace, and consulting for government organizations
Hon. BA International Relations & Industrial Relations from the University of Toronto
Board of Directors
Hamid Hakimi
Chairman
Hamid Hakimi serves as the Chairman of Elite Capital and the Founder & CEO of Elite Developments. Known for his strategic foresight and entrepreneurial spirit, Hamid has built a strong reputation for transforming the real estate landscape in Ontario. Under his leadership, Elite Developments the company has pursued an aggressive land acquisition strategy, resulting in a development portfolio with over 45 active projects making it one of the fastest-growing real estate developers in the region.
Vimal Jain
Chief Executive Officer
Vimal Jain serves as CEO of Elite Capital and sits on the Board of Directors as an Executive Director. Vimal brings over 25 years of global experience in investment, fundraising and strategic advisory across real assets including infrastructure and energy, spanning greenfield and brownfield projects. His work has covered key markets across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia, with cumulative enterprise value exceeding £50 billion.
Samim Sakhi
Executive Director
Samim Sakhi serves on the Board of Directors at Elite Capital as an Executive Director. Samim has over 15 years of experience in managing real estate developments and acquisitions. As President of Elite Developments he leads the firm’s investment strategy with a focus on full-cycle project execution, from land acquisition through to development, while closely monitoring and evaluating project financial performance at each stage.
Rizvan Magomedov
Non-Executive Director
Rizvan Magomedov serves on the Board of Directors at Elite Capital as an Executive Director. Rizvan leads international development at Dominance MMA where he is instrumental in negotiating high-profile athlete contracts, sponsorship deals and global promotional partnerships. Formerly CEO of Eagle FC, Rizvan spearheaded the promotion’s international expansion, securing key broadcast and sponsorship agreements while launching events in new markets. With academic backgrounds in law and linguistics, he brings a distinctive combination of legal acumen, strategic thinking and cross-cultural fluency. Rizvan’s expertise continues to drive meaningful growth for elite athletes and global sports ventures alike.
Our Ambassadors
Khabib Nurmagomedov
Ambassador
Khabib Nurmagomedov is a globally recognized entrepreneur and retired undefeated UFC Champion, widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in MMA history. As an Ambassador for Elite Capital, Khabib leverages his international profile and network to drive investment opportunities and business development. Since retiring from professional sports he has founded Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC) and invested in a diverse portfolio spanning fitness (FITRO), nutrition, hospitality (Papakha Restaurants and Cafes) and consumer products (M-PWR energy drinks). His strategic partnership with Wahed Invest underscores his commitment to ethical and inclusive finance, particularly in Muslim communities. Khabib’s ability to connect with global investors and communities brings tremendous value to Elite Capital’s growth trajectory.
Islam Makhachev
Ambassador
Islam Makhachev is a leading UFC athlete and one of the most prominent figures in global mixed martial arts. As an Ambassador for Elite Capital, Islam harnesses his expansive international following to build brand presence and investor engagement. Beyond his athletic accomplishments, he contributes to Elite Capital by activating a wide-reaching network of investors and supporters across key markets, further strengthening the firm’s global reach.
Investment Committee
Sophie Llewellyn, FRICS
Investment Committee Member
Sophie Llewellyn is a senior real estate executive with over 30 years of experience leading commercial growth across the UK, Middle East and Africa. A Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS), she has held executive roles across multiple real estate sectors, including a 15-year tenure at Majid Al Futtaim Properties. There, she served as Head of Asset Management for an $11 billion diversified portfolio, where she led strategic planning, investment oversight and performance optimization, delivering consistent revenue and EBITDA growth.
Michael A. D. Cox
Investment Committee Member
Michael A. D. Cox is a global real estate leader with more than 30 years of executive experience across the United States, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. He specializes in strategic business planning, investment frameworks and end-to-end project delivery for complex real estate ventures.
Our Shariah Supervisory Board
Dr. Mohamed Ali Elgari
Dr. Mohamed Ali Elgari was previously a Professor of Islamic Economics and a former Director of the Centre for Research in Islamic Economics at King Abdul Aziz University in Saudi Arabia. He is an advisor to several Islamic financial institutions throughout the world and is also on the Shariah board of the Dow Jones Islamic Index.
He is a member of, amongst others, the following Shariah Supervisory Boards: Dubai Islamic Bank, Credit Suisse, Merrill Lynch & Co, Resmalla Investments, UBS Islamic Finance, Saudi American Bank, Natixis Bank, FWU Group, Citi Islamic Investment Bank, HSBC Amanah Takaful Malaysia, Credit Agricole (Dubai), the Islamic Fiqh Academy as well as the Accounting & Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI).
Dr. Mohd Daud Bakar
Dr. Mohd Daud Bakar is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Amanie Group. He is the former Chairman of First Abu Dhabi Bank (UAE), the Shariah Advisory Council (SAC) at the Central Bank of Malaysia, the Securities Commission of Malaysia, and Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB).
Dr. Mohd Daud is a Shariah Board Member of various global financial institutions, including Amanie Advisors Ltd (Dubai, UAE) and Amanie Advisors Sdn Bhd (Malaysia), where he serves as Chairman. He also chairs Salama Insurance (Dubai) and Habib Metropolitan Bank (Pakistan). Additionally, he serves on the Shariah boards of BNP Paribas Najma (Bahrain), Guidance Financial (USA), Amundi Asset Management (Paris), Dow Jones Islamic Market Index (USA), Standard and Poor’s Islamic Index (USA), Oasis Asset Management (South Africa), Morgan Stanley (Dubai), Sedco Capital (Saudi Arabia and Luxembourg), Credit Agricole CIB (Dubai), Madina Takaful (Oman), and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (UAE).
Dr. Muhammad Amin Ali Qattan
Dr. Qattan has a Ph.D. in Islamic Banking from Birmingham University and is a lecturer and a prolific author of texts and articles on Islamic economics and finance. He is currently a freelance consultant, lecturer and trainer in Islamic banking and finance.
Dr. Qattan also serves as the Shariah advisor to many reputable institutions such as Ratings Intelligence, Standard & Poors Shariah Indices amongst others. He is a highly regarded Shariah Scholar and is based in Kuwait.
Dr. Osama Al Dereai
Dr. Osama Al Dereai is a Shariah scholar who has an extensive experience in teaching, consulting and research in the field of Islamic finance. Dr. Al Dereai obtained his Masters degree from the International Islamic University (Malaysia) and was later conferred his Doctorate in Islamic Transactions from the University of Malaya.
Dr. Al Dereai is a Shariah board member of various financial institutions which include the First Leasing Company, Barwa Bank, Barwa Capital (UK), First Investment Company and Ghanim Al Saad Group of Companies, Asian Islamic Investment Management Sdn. Bhd. Dlala Islamic Brokerage Company (W.L.L) First Finance Company (Q.S.C.) amongst others. He received his Bachelor’s degree specializing in the Science of Hadeth Al Sharef from the prestigious Islamic University of Madina.
The Shariah Supervisory Board shall be managed by Amanie Advisors Ltd, a company incorporated in DIFC with license No: CL0696.
Amanie Advisors Ltd is also the appointed Shariah Advisor for Elite Capital (DIFC) Limited.
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