Milken rallies investments at Mubadala tennis tournament
Mubadala plans to devote about $170 billion to U.S. interests, roughly 44% of its portfolio, spanning AI and healthcare to energy and advanced manufacturing.
The strategy was at the center of discussions during a Milken Institute forum last week, held alongside the Mubadala D.C. Open, the UAE sovereign wealth fund’s annual ATP 500/WTA 500 tournament in Washington, D.C.
“For Mubadala, the U.S. is our most strategic and attractive investment market,” said Ahmed Saeed Al Calily, Mubadala’s Chief Strategy & Risk Officer.
Among the participants were seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Will Ahmed, Co-Founder and CEO of Whoop; Sen. Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota); Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; and Richard Ditizio, CEO of the Milken Institute.
The tennis tournament was scheduled to wrap up on Monday after play was suspended due to thunderstorms. Third-seeded Taylor Fritz was slated to face Rafael Jodar in the men’s final while Jessica Pegula and Alexandra Eala compete for the women’s title.
Mubadala transfers $25B private credit portfolio to capital arm
Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala sovereign wealth fund is handing management of a $25 billion private credit portfolio to its asset management arm, Mubadala Capital, in a move that will let the business raise money from outside investors for the first time.
Mubadala is also committing another $4.65 billion to help the platform grow, betting that more pension funds, insurers and other institutional investors will seek private lenders as traditional banks pull back from corporate lending, Bloomberg reports.
The strategy reflects the rapid growth of private credit, in which investment firms make loans directly to companies rather than relying on banks. Mubadala Capital CEO Hani Barhoush told the news agency that the move opens the firm’s lending platform to outside investors while the sovereign fund retains ownership of the $25 billion portfolio.
Private credit has grown into a $1.8 trillion market, attracting firms including Blackstone, Apollo Global Management, Ares Management and Brookfield Asset Management.
As part of the overhaul, Mubadala Group CEO Khaldoon Al Mubarak will become chairman of Mubadala Capital, which has grown from an in-house investment unit into one of the Middle East’s largest alternative asset managers.
The business, which invests in direct lending, infrastructure, real estate debt and other credit strategies, will be led by Omar Eraiqat as president and chief investment officer for Credit and Solutions, alongside Fabrizio Bocciardi as head of credit. More than 25 employees have transferred to Mubadala Capital as part of the restructuring.
Mubadala aims to double Asia portfolio to 25% within a decade
Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala sovereign wealth fund plans to double its exposure to Asia, raising the share of Asian assets in its portfolio to about 25% over the next decade.
Currently, Asia accounts for roughly 13% of Mubadala’s $330 billion in assets under management, or about $43 billion, the Zawya news agency reports. “In the next five to 10 years, we would love to see that double,” Mohamed Albadr, Mubadala’s Head of Asia, said during a discussion at Abu Dhabi Finance Week.
China, Japan, South Korea and India will be Mubadala’s core target markets in Asia, Albader said, citing their mature private-equity markets and exit-opportunity potential. The fund already maintains a Beijing office, a Hong Kong joint-venture office and a growing list of activities, including recent large deals in real estate and healthcare.
Albadr said Mubadala would deploy capital in real estate, infrastructure and private equity, which will play a key role in late-stage and buyout investments.
Khazna Data Centers, meanwhile, a growing AI infrastructure business backed by Mubadala, appointed Mohammed Bin Hassan as Country Head for Saudi Arabia following the company’s acquisition of land in the port city of Dammam to develop new data capacity.
