By Maria Maalouf
Abu Dhabi has formally launched a new sovereign investment platform, marking another strategic step in the emirate’s effort to deepen its influence across global markets and future-oriented industries. The newly established entity, L’IMAD Holding, enters the international investment arena with a clear mandate to pursue large-scale, strategic opportunities both domestically and abroad.
The fund is chaired by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, underscoring the high-level political and economic backing behind the initiative. Its board brings together some of the UAE’s most prominent financial leaders, including Khaldoun Al Mubarak, Managing Director and Group CEO of Mubadala Investment Company. Jassem Al Zaabi, who serves concurrently as Vice Chairman of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, reinforcing the fund’s institutional depth and financial credibility.
Although newly unveiled, L’IMAD has already begun to assert itself on the global stage. The fund executed its first public transaction in October 2025 and has since participated in high-profile international deals, including backing a major bid by Skydance to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. These early moves signal LIMAD’s intention to operate as an active global investor rather than a passive capital allocator.
L’IMAD’s investment strategy spans a broad spectrum of sectors aligned with Abu Dhabi’s long-term economic vision. These include infrastructure development, real estate, financial services, advanced manufacturing, emerging technologies, urban mobility, and smart-city projects. The fund is designed to complement, rather than compete with, the emirate’s existing sovereign investment architecture.
With the addition of L’IMAD, Abu Dhabi further strengthens a sovereign wealth ecosystem that already includes the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Mubadala Investment Company, and the Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company. Collectively, these institutions oversee assets estimated at nearly $2 trillion, positioning Abu Dhabi as one of the most influential capital hubs in the global economy.
The launch of L’IMAD reflects Abu Dhabi’s evolving approach to sovereign investment—one that emphasizes strategic positioning, technological leadership, and global deal-making capacity. As competition for capital and influence intensifies worldwide, the emirate continues to deploy its financial strength as a tool of long-term economic resilience and geopolitical relevance.
