2nd October, 2026
The 2026 MENA Playbook released today by Global SWF highlights the state of play of Middle Eastern Sovereign Investors as at the end of the third quarter of 2026.
1st October, 2026
In the past ten years, Abu Dhabi has evolved into a global financial powerhouse, supported by the massive sovereign wealth of the emirate, and evidenced by the number and caliber of companies establishing a presence in the city’s free zone. The September 2026 edition of the Global Financial Centers Index (published by Z/Yen and China’s CDI) ranked Abu Dhabi at 13th place globally, up from 21st place in 2025. Part of the credit must be attributed to Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), which opened in 2015 and started changing the tone and the dynamics of the emirate. Starting from scattered pools of capital and low-profile finances, ADGM pushed for a unified discourse and a pro-active approach to attract inbound foreign capital based on the existing wealth, coining the terms the Falcon Economy, and the Capital of Capital.
30th September, 2026
Temasek is turning years of co-investment with Gulf sovereign funds into a permanent regional presence. The Singapore state investor will open offices in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi in the first half of 2027 and deepen engagement in Qatar, bringing its own investment teams closer to QIA, Mubadala, KIA, MGX and L’IMAD. Its disclosed direct Gulf portfolio remains limited, but the relationships are already well established.
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29th September, 2026
Temasek is taking a 9% stake in Italian investment manager FSI, adding ownership of the firm to an eight-year relationship built through successive fund commitments.
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28th September, 2026
PIF is drawing banks, private developers and prospective buyers further into its Saudi portfolio as its 2026–2030 strategy takes shape. After years of using its own balance sheet to build companies and industries, more of the next stage will depend on capital coming from elsewhere.
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25th September, 2026
Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority is using its infrastructure mandate to bring private and institutional capital into distributed power. The model has parallels with India’s NIIF and Indonesia’s INA, while NSIA also manages separate stabilisation and intergenerational savings funds.
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24th September, 2026
The conflict is raising the value of infrastructural resilience, spare capacity and regional connectivity, bringing economic security further into Gulf sovereign investment decisions.
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23rd September, 2026
India already attracts more than INR5 trillion (US$52 billion) through registered SWF vehicles, but only INR12.66 billion (US$132 million) is held in debt. South Korea’s NPS is now seeking approval to invest in Indian government bonds through a new lower-compliance regime for long-term institutional capital.
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22nd September, 2026
Qatar is giving domestic investment a much larger institutional role within its US$580 billion sovereign wealth fund, placing 45 state-owned companies representing roughly one-third of QIA’s assets under a dedicated manager.
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21st September, 2026
The Paramount–Warner merger provides a striking test of how far Gulf sovereign capital can reach into US cultural industries. The Hollywood sign has become shorthand for US cultural reach. The deal would place Gulf sovereign capital deep inside the economics of that system, with voting and editorial authority remaining in US hands.
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18th September, 2026
McLaren Automotive plans to invest GBP500 million (US$675 million) in UK manufacturing and engineering, marking its first major expansion since CYVN combined McLaren with Forseven and was subsequently brought under Abu Dhabi’s L’IMAD. The programme includes a second vehicle assembly facility, expanded carbon-fibre production, greater in-house engine and transmission capabilities and McLaren’s first sport utility vehicle, with around 1,000 jobs planned by 2032.
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17th September, 2026
NZ Super returned 14.17% in FY2026, lifting net assets 10.9% to NZ$94.35 billion (US$54.29 billion). The Fund finished just 0.10 percentage points behind its passive Reference Portfolio, a shortfall of around NZ$80 million (US$46 million). Over 20 years, it has returned 9.68% a year against 8.19% for the benchmark, adding NZ$22.05 billion (US$12.69 billion) through active management.
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