Report: Beyond oil: How sovereign wealth funds are engineering the Gulf’s next economy

The escalation of hostilities between the US, Israel and Iran in February this year has underscored the fragility of global supply chains and the strategic importance of capital in periods of geopolitical disruption. Airstrikes launched on February 28, targeting Iranian military assets and leadership triggered a swift retaliation, with Iran targeting US military installations, Israel and critical infrastructure across the Gulf. The conflict rapidly expanded into a broader regional crisis, disrupting trade routes, energy flows and logistics networks.

The report focuses on how Gulf sovereign wealth funds are recalibrating their strategies — channelling capital into AI, advanced manufacturing and clean energy, deepening their footprint across Asia and Africa, and building the economic foundations for a post-hydrocarbon future.

Key Highlights: 

• • Gulf sovereign investors hold roughly 40% of global state-owned investment assets, including six of the world’s 10 largest funds.
  • Adia manages $1.1tn in assets; Mubadala manages $330bn, anchoring Abu Dhabi’s multi-pillar investment model.
  • L’imad Holding, absorbing ADQ, will oversee 25+ investment companies and 250+ subsidiaries, including Taqa, Etihad Airways and PureHealth.
  • Saudi Arabia’s PIF manages $941bn, targeting $2tn by 2030, with $19.4bn committed to green projects.
  • PIF’s 2026-30 strategy prioritises AI, mining and manufacturing, tapping Saudi Arabia’s $1.3tn in untapped mineral resources.
  • Dubai’s ICD drives a commercially-led model, with holdings spanning Emirates NBD, Emaar and Dubai Aerospace Enterprise.
  • GCC investment in Africa topped $50bn in 2023, with the UAE as the continent’s fourth-largest direct investor.
  • Six of the world’s 10 largest sovereign funds call the Gulf home. How they choose to deploy that capital next will shape the region’s economic future. That shift is the subject of this briefing paper on – Sovereign Power: How Gulf Wealth Funds Are Engineering Global Growth.

  Free Report

  The $6 Trillion Engine: Sovereign Wealth Funds Driving the Gulf’s Global Ascent

  In a region once defined by oil reserves, the real story now is where that wealth goes next — and how strategically it’s being put to work.

  Download this definitive briefing paper for finance and investment professionals who want to understand how Gulf sovereign wealth funds are evolving from passive custodians of capital into active architects of economic transformation. Covering Abu Dhabi’s multi-pillar investment model, Saudi Arabia’s centralised PIF strategy, and Dubai’s commercially-driven approach to building national champions, this report maps exactly where sovereign capital is flowing — into AI, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and high-growth markets across Asia and Africa.