Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser, has led a meeting of the Investment Affairs Council, which operates under the Supreme Council for Financial and Economic Affairs, with the first quarter performance of the emirate's biggest sovereign funds reviewed amid a volatile global backdrop.
The meeting was held in the presence of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
Sheikh Tahnoon affirmed the Supreme Council's pivotal role in setting and adopting public policies related to Abu Dhabi's financial, investment, economic and natural resource affairs. He also highlighted its responsibility for monitoring the performance of strategic entities to ensure alignment with the council's broader strategic direction.
The council also reviewed global economic developments and the investment plans of relevant entities across the emirate.
The meeting reviewed the performance of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia), Mubadala Investment Company, L'Imad Holding Company and Adnoc, four institutions that form the backbone of Abu Dhabi's long-term economic strategy and its drive to diversify away from oil.
Adia is the largest sovereign wealth fund in the Gulf and the third largest globally, with assets of about $1.187 trillion, according to the Global SWF. The fund invests across asset classes including equities, fixed income, infrastructure, private equity and property on behalf of the Abu Dhabi government.
Mubadala, at the heart of the emirate's economic diversification agenda, posted a 17 per cent rise in assets to $385 billion in 2025, with five and 10-year annualised returns exceeding 10 per cent, and capital deployed across strategic sectors increasing 20 per cent year-on-year.
L'imad, which took over ADQ in January, has total assets of more than $263 billion across key sectors including energy, infrastructure and health care. It has expanded its international footprint across six continents.
The fund has been on an active deal streak, completing the acquisition of regional courier Aramex and signing a $25 billion investment partnership with Energy Capital Partners targeting new power-generation capacity for data centres and industrial growth in the US.
The Supreme Council is responsible for setting and approving financial and economic policy, as well as approving the strategies of key government-owned companies, including Adnoc and Mubadala, while allowing the entities to continue to operate day-to-day with autonomy. Its resolutions aim to grow sovereign investment funds locally and globally, while supporting the stability and continuity of Abu Dhabi's investment policy.
Global asset managers with more than $20 trillion in assets remain committed to expanding in the UAE and the wider Middle East, with Abu Dhabi's ADGM emerging as a preferred destination for investors, global hedge funds and wealth advisers. The gathering of the emirate's most senior leadership signals Abu Dhabi's determination to maintain active, co-ordinated oversight of its sovereign capital at a moment of considerable geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
The meeting was also attended by Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed; Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Chairman of the UAE's Executive Affairs Authority and Mubadala's managing director; Jassem Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Finance; Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and managing director and group chief executive of Adnoc; and Kamal Almaazmi, Undersecretary of Abu Dhabi's Department of Finance.
