Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open confirmed for 2025 as tickets go on sale

The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open will return for its third tournament in 2025, organisers said on Tuesday, with tickets now on sale for the WTA 500 tournament.

At the International Tennis Centre at Zayed Sports City from February 1 to 8, the Abu Dhabi Open will feature 28 singles players and 16 doubles teams. Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina won this year's tournament, defeating Daria Kasatkina in the final, while Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia Kenin collected the doubles trophy.

“We’re excited to welcome the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open back for the 2025 season after an impressive second edition featuring eight of the world’s top 20 players," WTA chief executive Portia Archer said. "The tournament’s exceptional organisation and passionate fan base make it a favourite among WTA players, who appreciate the warm hospitality of Abu Dhabi and the UAE.”

To mark the tournament's return and the ticket launch, the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open is offering fans a chance to win a trip to the Mubadala Citi DC Open in the US capital in July 2025. The prize includes flights, accommodation, two VIP tickets to the tournament, and other experiences. To be in with a chance of winning, purchase a ticket for the Abu Dhabi tournament before September 30 to be automatically entered into the draw.

“The third Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open promises to be the best yet, offering an unparalleled experience that celebrates world-class tennis," said Homaid Al Shimmari, deputy group chief executive and chief corporate and human capital officer for Mubadala Investment Company. "Our commitment to this event highlights our dedication to supporting women’s professional tennis, enhancing Abu Dhabi’s global presence, and fostering engagement through world-class sporting experiences.”

The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open was added to the WTA Tour calendar in 2023, with former Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic the inaugural singles champion. The tournament was preceded by the Abu Dhabi Women's Tennis Open – a one-off event in January 2021 to assist a season severely impacted by the pandemic.

The 2025 tournament will be the first of three that comprise the WTA Tour's three-week Middle East swing and will be followed by the Qatar Open in Doha and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The season will also conclude in the region, with the WTA Finals to be held in Riyadh for three years until 2026.

“We continue to steadily build on the success of this prestigious championship, following the excellence demonstrated in the past two editions," said Aref Hamad Al Awani, secretary general of Abu Dhabi Sports Council. "The championship highlights our commitment to hosting world-class events in Abu Dhabi, the global sports capital, backed by the confidence of official sports federations and organisations, as well as the exceptional infrastructure that positions Abu Dhabi as a premier global destination, attracting top sports stars from around the world.”

Tickets for the tournament are available for purchase, with children able to attend the first five days for free and adult tickets starting from Dh25. More information about the tournament, and ticket registration, is available at www.mubadalaabudhabiopen.com.

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.”

Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open confirmed for 2025 as tickets go on sale

WTA 500 tournament to take place at Zayed Sports City from February 1 to 8