DUBAI (Reuters) - Private equity firm Permira plans to open an office in Dubai this year, it said on Monday, as it joins other firms looking to expand their footprint in the region and strengthen ties with investors such as some of the world's largest wealth funds.

Permira said in a statement that the office will help the firm to work closely with existing local and regional investors and develop new strategic partnerships.

"The region has become an increasingly important market for us given the growing interest in alternative assets from Middle Eastern investors, their increasing sophistication and pools of capital," co-CEOs Dipan Patel and Brian Ruder said in the statement.

While the Gulf had previously been a place where buyout groups would go to raise money to invest in other markets, they are now looking to build teams on the ground, invest in local businesses and help develop the region's asset managers.

Last year, New York-based private equity firm General Atlantic opened an office in Abu Dhabi, following a string of other investment firms coming to the United Arab Emirates.

Other names include peer Investindustrial as well as asset manager PGIM and hedge funds such as Brevan Howard.

Founded in 1985, Permira has a total committed capital of around 80 billion euros ($82 billion) and its portfolio includes stakes in Swedish payments firm Klarna, Greyhound owner Flix and Italian luxury sneaker maker Golden Goose.

The firm has appointed Chris Buchanan as partner and global head of capital formation, while Nader Salman will be managing director and head of Middle East in its capital formation team, it said.

Permira added that its new representative office will be based in Dubai's international financial centre DIFC and that it was subject to approval from the free zone's regulator DFSA.

($1 = 0.9764 euros)

(Reporting by Federico Maccioni; editing by David Evans)