Two Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth funds were the most active investors in the Middle East and North Africa during the first nine months of 2025, as the region continues to strengthen its economic diversification.
A total of $56.3 billion from 97 transactions was deployed by Mena SWFs in the period through to the end of September, industry tracker Global SWF said in its 2025 Mena Playbook released on Wednesday.
Mubadala topped the charts with $17.4 billion, followed by Abu Dhabi Investment Authority with $9.6 billion, with the two wealth funds comprising nearly half of all activity in the region.
They were followed by the Qatar Investment Authority ($7.6 billion), Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund ($6.2 billion) and Abu Dhabi's ADQ ($4.8 billion), the report said.
Mena activity comprised about 40 per cent of all activity globally, with more than a third deployed in the US, 28 per cent in Europe including the UK and 16 per cent in their respective localities, Singapore-based Global SWF said.
Overall, activity of state-owned investors − which includes SWFs, public pension funds and central banks − recently surpassed $8.2 trillion for the first time, despite tensions “shaking the region’s stability”, with most of the growth still being driven by Gulf countries, Global SWF said.
While that was a modest annual increase, that figure is expected to grow by more than 46 per cent to about $12 trillion by 2030, the report showed.
“The landscape of sovereign investors across Mena continues to evolve and to show strength and resilience … we expect this growth to continue over the next five years, political issues permitting,” it said.
Mena SWF activity remained resilient despite ongoing geopolitical conflict, as it continues to be a “hub of economic activity and financial strength, drawing the attention of governments, asset owners, managers, bankers, consultants and lawyers worldwide.”
The report acknowledged that the oil and gas industry still plays a key role in regional economies, but heightened SWF activity mirrors diversification efforts to tap into potential high-value sectors.
Among the industries Mena countries are increasingly investing in are renewable energy, digital technology, artificial intelligence and tourism, as they seek to “position themselves as regional innovation hubs and global economic players”, the study found.
“Achieving these ambitions requires navigating a complex, shifting landscape marked by regional tensions, political fragmentation and global economic uncertainty,” Global SWF said.
It added that governments must contend with geopolitical instability, tighter global financial conditions, trade protectionism, commodity price volatility and climate-related shocks.
“These challenges weigh on both short-term prospects and long-term planning,” it said.
Mubadala, Abu Dhabi's strategic investment arm, was ranked as the world’s top sovereign investor in 2024 by Global SWF. Mubadala’s total assets under management in 2024 reached Dh1.2 trillion ($326 billion), with annualised returns of 10.1 per cent over five years, the company said in its annual report in May.
Adia, which does not disclose its assets, invests on behalf of the Abu Dhabi government. It is the largest SWF in the Gulf, with assets touching $1.1 trillion, according to Global SWF.
The PIF, meanwhile, aims to boosts its assets value to $1.75 trillion by the end of the year to be the “biggest SWF … and our target by 2030 is to be at least $2 trillion and there's a good chance for us to be $3 trillion”, governor Yasir Al Rumayyan said last month.
“Fiscal policy across Mena is also evolving. GCC countries are advancing fiscal frameworks, and spending priorities are shifting toward targeted social transfers and investment in non-oil sectors,” Global SWF said.
“The challenge across the region is balancing adjustment with social needs, as high borrowing costs and elevated debt levels constrain fiscal space while demands for inclusive growth and job creation remain pressing.”
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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RESULTS
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
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Total funding: Self funded
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Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
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Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
Top tips
Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
