The UAE’s Sovereign Wealth Funds Lead the GCC

The total AUM of GCC sovereign wealth funds is expected to grow to $7.3 trillion by 2030, with $55 billion invested in the first nine months of 2024, representing 40% of global state-backed transactions.

Mubadala, Abu Dhabi’s second-largest fund, reported a 9.5% increase in AUM to $302.2 billion in 2023, with significant investments in technology and renewable energy. Over the past year, GCC funds directed $9.5 billion into China, leveraging opportunities as Western investors pulled back.

UAE-based Royal Private Offices now manage $500 billion in assets, while GCC state-owned investors reached a 15-year investment peak in early 2024, deploying $38.2 billion across 58 deals.

Saudi Arabia’s PIF emerged as the most active fund in 2024, marked by a $4.3 billion investment in London Heathrow and a 49% stake in Rocco Forte Hotels, highlighting the region’s expanding global investment footprint.

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