Abu Dhabi Investor Acquires Caring Empire In £1.4bn Landmark Deal

One of the most significant ownership changes in the history of British hospitality has been confirmed, with restaurateur Richard Caring agreeing to transfer a controlling interest in his portfolio of restaurants and private members’ clubs to Abu Dhabi-based luxury investment platform DIAFA in a transaction understood to be worth £1.4 billion.

The scale of the deal places it among the largest ever recorded in the UK’s licensed and hospitality trade, encompassing some of the country’s most recognisable dining and leisure brands across three distinct business pillars.

DIAFA, an affiliate of Abu Dhabi’s International Holding Company (IHC), has acquired a majority stake in a portfolio spanning The Ivy Brasseries, the Caprice Holdings restaurant group — which includes Scott’s, Sexy Fish and Noema — and The Birley Clubs, home to Annabel’s, George, Harry’s Bar and Mark’s Club.

IHC is chaired by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan, deputy ruler of Abu Dhabi and younger brother of UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

Caring, 77, is set to stay on in an executive capacity. He will serve as executive chairman, taking a lead role in driving the international expansion of Scott’s, Sexy Fish and Noema, with Annabel’s in New York cited as the first planned new opening under the combined group’s ownership.

The Ivy Brasseries, which operate across the UK and Ireland, are among the highest-profile assets in the transaction. The new ownership structure is expected to accelerate expansion, with the US market among the territories under active consideration for future openings.

DIAFA group chief executive Ravi Thakran, said: “This transaction marks the beginning of a new chapter in global luxury hospitality. We are curating a portfolio of the world’s most iconic and culturally defining brands, with the ambition to shape how the next generation experiences dining, social connection, and lifestyle. Together with Richard Caring, we are building a platform of enduring value and global influence.”