Turkmenistan professes to be virus-free, with no case officially recorded in the country. Getty
Turkmenistan professes to be virus-free, with no case officially recorded in the country. Getty
Turkmenistan professes to be virus-free, with no case officially recorded in the country. Getty
Turkmenistan professes to be virus-free, with no case officially recorded in the country. Getty

ADFD signs deal with Turkmenistan to form new $100m investment company


Mary Sophia
  • English
  • Arabic

Abu Dhabi Fund For Development (ADFD) signed a series of agreements with Turkmenistan to create a joint investment company and assess the feasibility of backing a chemical complex, among other projects.

The joint company, which has a $100 million capital target, will invest in sectors such as energy, agriculture, tourism and industry, the fund said in a statement on Wednesday. It will have initial capital of $16m that will be jointly provided by ADFD and Turkmenistan's government.

The Turkmen government will also present project proposals to ADFD for it to conduct feasibility studies.

“The memoranda of understanding reflect ADFD’s keenness to expand its investment and economic partnerships with the government of Turkmenistan,” Mohamed Al Suwaidi, director general of ADFD, said. “They also represent a quantum leap in the economic co-operation between the UAE and Turkmenistan.”

A separate agreement was signed to study the possibility of investing in a project to establish a $175m chemical industry complex in Turkmenistan to produce polyvinyl acetate, according to ADFD.

The Turkmen government and the Abu Dhabi fund also agreed to solidify their economic co-operation and study opportunities to finance infrastructure projects in various sectors, including renewable energy and air transport.

ADFD is an autonomous national entity affiliated to the emirate’s government that finances projects across developing countries.

The fund, which started operations in Turkmenistan in 1999, had previously financed the rehabilitation of the Archman Hospital and established a specialty hospital in Ashkhabad for Dh182m.

In November, an ADFD-owned entity, Abu Dhabi Uzbek Investment Company, signed an agreement with DP World to explore investment opportunities in the transport and logistics sector in neighbouring Uzbekistan.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes. 
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com

How to apply for a drone permit
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Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

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Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory