Gulf Partners Group closes $100 million private credit facility for Payward-owned NinjaTrader

Gulf Partners Group (“GPG”), a management-led GCC private markets firm, together with Payward, the unified infrastructure platform and parent company of both NinjaTrader and digital asset platform Kraken, today announced the closing of a $100 million senior secured private credit facility for Chicago-headquartered NinjaTrader Group Holding, LLC (“NinjaTrader”), the leading retail futures trading platform in the United States and a wholly owned subsidiary of Payward. The facility will support NinjaTrader’s continued growth and operational expansion as it strengthens its leadership position in the U.S. retail futures market.

The landmark $100 million private credit facility for NinjaTrader marks GPG’s second transaction after its recent launch – and its first major transaction – it underscores Payward’s strategic expansion into the Gulf. NinjaTrader serves hundreds of thousands of retail futures traders across the United States and has established a leading position in a large and growing segment of the retail trading market. The transaction highlights the growing role of Gulf-based investment firms in originating and executing international private credit opportunities. It demonstrates GPG’s ability to source and structure complex cross-border investments and provide GCC investors with access to high-quality international businesses.

Beyond the transaction itself, the facility marks the beginning of a broader strategic relationship between Payward and GPG. Drawing on a longstanding professional relationship between the respective management teams, the partnership aims to explore opportunities to connect Gulf investors with Kraken’s expanding ecosystem of products and services. The parties expect the relationship to create a platform for future collaboration and investment opportunities across the region.

Commenting on the transaction, Mohammed Alqahtany, Co-CEO at GPG, said: “This transaction is a testament to what GPG was built to do, connect the Gulf to the world’s most compelling investment opportunities, and do it at both a pace and to a standard that institutional investors expect.” Waleed Abdulaziz, Chief Investment Officer at GPG, added: “Investors across the GCC are increasingly seeking access to institutional-grade private market opportunities – in the region and beyond. Our intention is to bridge that gap by providing access to carefully selected opportunities globally.” Yousif Al Abdulla, Co-CEO at GPG, added: “This transaction reflects the quality of our relationships and execution capabilities we have built over many years. We see significant potential to continue connecting regional capital with high-quality investment opportunities internationally.”

Martin Franchi, CEO at NinjaTrader, said: “This facility reflects the confidence our partners have in NinjaTrader’s business and trajectory. We have spent two decades building the leading futures platform in the United States, and with the right capital partners behind us, the next chapter is an exciting one.”

Arjun Sethi, Co-CEO of Payward and Kraken, said: “The Gulf moved early on digital assets and treated them as core infrastructure while much of the world watched. That is why we are building here, with partners who see it the same way. Securing VARA authorisation in Dubai was one step. This facility is another. NinjaTrader already leads US retail futures, and futures are the backbone of any serious market. This facility puts Gulf capital behind the platform and gives it room to scale in the market it leads. We are here for the long term, and there is a lot more Payward want to do in the region, through both Kraken and NinjaTrader.”

Gulf Partners Group is a GCC-focused private-markets investment firm active across private equity and private credit strategies. The firm targets investments of US$50 million to US$100 million and seeks to build a portfolio comprising approximately 75% GCC opportunities and 25% international investments.