Mubadala Tower in Abu Dhabi
Mubadala Tower in Abu Dhabi
Mubadala Tower in Abu Dhabi
Mubadala Tower in Abu Dhabi

Mubadala is 'investing in AI and advanced tech to become a leading long-term global investor'


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Mubadala's pioneering investments in fields such as artificial intelligence and advanced technology are aimed at achieving its vision of being a leading, long-term global investor, the company's chief strategy and risk officer has said.

Ahmed Al Calily told Wam that, in light of rapid global changes, Abu Dhabi’s strategic investment arm is keen to enhance its role and effective contributions to the efforts aimed at building a strong and diversified economic future for the UAE through investments in strategic, future-shaping sectors.

Investments in vital sectors such as AI, semiconductors, life sciences, financial markets and energy, as well as the establishment of national companies that compete at the global level, are allowing Mubadala to achieve its goals, he said.

Speaking to The National in January last year, Mr Al Calily said that "AI is definitely the next big mover and shaker".

"It is the next disruptor for the consumer and for enterprise," he said. "This is the future; you cannot run away from it."

Mubadala is continuing to expand its investments in sectors such as clean energy, health care and life sciences.

In May, Mubadala launched a new pharmaceuticals company, boosting the UAE's manufacturing sector and further positioning the Emirates' healthcare industry on the global stage.

Mubadala Bio will have a manufacturing capacity of more than 2.5 billion tablets and capsules, and 120 million units of intravenous solutions and injectables, the company said in a statement.

In its 2024 annual report, Mubadala's assets increased by 9.1 per cent year on year to reach Dh1.2 trillion ($326 billion), with annualised returns of 10.1 per cent over five years. The company achieved a 33.7 per cent year-on-year increase in investment placement to Dh119 billion, Wam reported.

Revenue from investments and asset disposals also increased by 10 per cent year on year to reach Dh109 billion.

Mubadala was the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund investor in 2024, ahead of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, industry specialist Global SWF said in a January report.

Investing on behalf of the Abu Dhabi government, Mubadala is at the centre of the emirate’s efforts to diversify its revenue base and generate income from sources other than oil. Its interests span six continents in multiple sectors and asset classes.

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How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now

Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.

The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.

1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):

a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33

b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.

2. For those who have worked more than five years

c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.

Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.

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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.”

Updated: July 07, 2025, 1:35 PM