Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Aldar and Mubadala Capital have announced the launch of Aldar Capital, an investment management platform that will connect global institutional investors with real estate and infrastructure opportunities across the UAE and wider GCC, according to a media statement issued on Thursday.
The statement said the platform will be headquartered in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and structured with an independent governance framework to operate to international institutional standards. It will offer professionally managed funds to global investors, including sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, insurance companies, fund of funds, and family offices.
Aldar Capital’s first fund will launch in 2026 and is targeting a fund size of $1 billion, the statement said.
Aldar and Mubadala Investment Company described the joint venture as the latest phase in their long-standing partnership, combining Aldar’s real estate development and asset management expertise with Mubadala Capital’s institutional fund management capabilities and global investor network. The statement said the platform is designed to “bridge regional opportunity with international capital” and set new benchmarks for governance, scale and institutional collaboration in the GCC.
Group Chief Executive Officer of Aldar, Talal Al Dhiyebi, said, “In the UAE and wider region, real estate sits at the heart of one of the world’s most compelling growth stories – built on strong fundamentals, sustained investment, and expanding populations. Today, the market has the scale, maturity, and transparency global institutional investors seek.” The launch of Aldar Capital represents “a defining milestone for Aldar, creating a dedicated investment management platform that transforms our business from a regional real estate leader into a manager of global capital,” he said.
He added that Aldar Capital will “enable international investors to access the region’s next wave of growth and reinforce Abu Dhabi’s role as a leading hub for institutional investment.”
Chief Executive Officer of Mubadala Capital, Hani Barhoush, said that global investors are increasingly seeking exposure to real assets but have had limited access to institutional-grade opportunities in the UAE and GCC. “Aldar Capital will address this gap by offering a transparent, professionally managed platform built to global standards and underpinned by deep, historical regional expertise and track record,” he said.
He added, “Bringing together Mubadala Capital’s global investment reach and investor network with Aldar’s on-the-ground real estate leadership, the platform will reflect Abu Dhabi’s evolution as a nexus for global capital and the growing confidence of investors in the region’s governance, growth, and long-term potential.”
ADGM’s Chief of Market Development, Arvind Ramamurthy, said Aldar Capital “reflects the continued evolution of Abu Dhabi as a global centre for long-term, institutional capital.” He said establishing the platform within ADGM’s regulatory framework underscores Abu Dhabi’s position as a trusted destination for real-asset investment and will “expand access, deepen market maturity, and connect global investors with the region’s most compelling opportunities.”
The media statement highlighted Aldar’s existing Dh47 billion ($12.8 billion) portfolio of income-generating real estate assets across retail, residential, commercial, logistics, hospitality and education, and noted its record of partnerships with global institutional investors including Apollo Global Management, The Carlyle Group and Ares Management Corporation. The launch of Aldar Capital, it said, marks a key element of Aldar’s 2030 growth strategy.
Mubadala Capital manages, advises and administers over $430 billion in assets globally through asset-management platforms and strategic partnerships, the statement said. The launch of Aldar Capital will give investors direct access to the GCC’s real-asset landscape via a platform built on “transparency, governance, and scale.”
