Global investment firms are expanding in Abu Dhabi as they seek deeper access to the emirate's sovereign investors and their portfolio companies. The trend is becoming especially visible in private-asset secondaries, a market forecast to reach $250 billion this year despite regional war risks.
Highlights
- Global private capital firms are expanding operations in Abu Dhabi, increasingly investing and acquiring stakes alongside sovereign wealth funds.
- EQT AB, Pantheon, and Eurazeo have opened Abu Dhabi offices since mid-September, joining Ardian and HarbourVest Partners amid rising competition.
- The private-asset secondaries market in Abu Dhabi is projected to reach $250 billion this year, reinforcing its regional and global market significance.
Private capital firms expand Abu Dhabi presence
As reported by Bloomberg, a fresh group of international investment firms is setting up in Abu Dhabi to do more than raise capital from sovereign wealth funds. Their push increasingly includes investing alongside those funds and acquiring stakes in companies already held in their portfolios.The shift stands out in the private-asset secondaries market, where investors buy existing private market stakes rather than commit only to new funds. That activity is adding to Abu Dhabi's appeal as a hub for private capital even as the region faces war-related uncertainty.
Secondaries growth strengthens regional market appeal
EQT AB, Pantheon and Eurazeo have all opened offices in the emirate since mid-September, joining earlier entrants Ardian and HarbourVest Partners. Their expansion reflects competition for access to a segment that is forecast to reach $250 billion this year.The cluster of new offices signals that Abu Dhabi is attracting firms not only as a source of sovereign wealth, but also as a market for transactions tied to existing private equity and private asset holdings. That positioning could further reinforce the emirate's role in global private markets activity.
In our earlier coverage of the IMF’s warning on the Middle East and Central Asia outlook, we reported that prolonged conflict and renewed disruptions to energy production, shipping routes, and critical infrastructure could weigh heavily on regional growth. The IMF projected a contraction in 2026 followed by an uneven rebound in 2027, while urging policymakers to prioritize price stability and rebuild fiscal buffers as limited spare capacity and inventories raise volatility risks.
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