Advent, a global private equity investor with more than $109 billion in assets under management, has opened an office in Abu Dhabi’s ADGM, joining the growing list of financial institutions with a presence in the UAE capital.
The opening of the new office follows a series of openings by the company globally, including in Tokyo and Hong Kong, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The new presence builds on Advent’s long-standing relationships across the Middle East, giving Advent a local base from which to deepen its engagement with investors and support the firm’s existing portfolio companies and explore potential investment opportunities,” the company said.
Set up in 1984, the company has made 460 investments in 45 countries. It has 18 offices globally, including in Abu Dhabi.
The announcement comes as a growing number of global financial institutions launch their operations at ADGM, despite uncertainty arising from the Iran war.
Earlier this month, New Mountain Capital, an alternative investment firm based in New York, said it was opening an office in ADGM to strengthen its presence in the Middle East, while Capital Group, which manages $3.6 trillion in assets, has secured a licence from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Abu Dhabi's ADGM to operate as a regulated investment manager.
The Paris-listed Eurazeo, a European asset manager with €40 billion ($45.2 billion) in assets under management, has also opened an office in the ADGM amid its expansion plans in the region.
Other high-profile companies that the UAE capital has attracted in recent months include private credit lender Blue Owl Capital, the tech-focused US company Vista Equity Partners, the world’s largest listed hedge fund Man Group, Barings, Bain Capital, Cantor and the Swiss derivative investment company Adapt Investment Managers.
“Advent’s decision to establish an office in ADGM reflects the strength of Abu Dhabi’s proposition as a leading destination for global investment firms,” Arvind Ramamurthy, chief market development officer at ADGM, said.
Assets under management at ADGM grew 54 per cent annually in the first six months of 2026, with 49,027 professionals now based at Al Maryah Island and Al Reem Island, an increase of 34 per cent on the same period last year.
Collectively, asset managers that established operations in ADGM in the first half of the year oversee more than $2.1 trillion in global assets under management.
