Abu Dhabi has reshaped its investment landscape again, folding its $263 billion ADQ wealth fund into a newly minted state-backed investor and appointing the crown prince as chairman, nearly eight years after its last major sovereign investment overhaul.
The move will consolidate ADQ’s assets and investments under L’imad, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a statement. “L’imad will have differentiated operational, industrial and technological capabilities, in addition to investment platforms across both private and public markets,” it said.
The integration adds another heavyweight to Abu Dhabi’s sovereign investment ecosystem, which manages about $2 trillion in assets through entities including Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Mubadala Investment Co. In 2018, the emirate combined Abu Dhabi Investment Council with Mubadala to create a wealth fund with assets of about $250 billion at that time
Earlier this month, Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was named chairman of L’imad, with Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Al Zaabi appointed CEO.
L’imad made international headlines last year when it teamed up with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Qatar Investment Authority to back Paramount Skydance Corp.’s high-profile pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.
The consolidated entity’s portfolio will comprise 25 investment companies and platforms, alongside more than 250 subsidiaries. Key holdings include TAQA, Modon Holding, Etihad Airways, PureHealth, Etihad Rail, Wio Bank, Abu Dhabi Ports, McLaren, and Louis Dreyfus, according to the Media Office.
Changes afoot at ADQ, chaired by Abu Dhabi deputy ruler Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, emerged yesterday. Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, the fund’s founding managing director and group CEO, stepped from ADQ to lead Abu Dhabi-based asset manager Lunate, which has $115 billion under management.
📌 Why it matters: The move strengthens Abu Dhabi’s position as a global investment heavyweight, uniting industrial, technological, and financial assets. It also signals the emirate’s drive to rival major sovereign wealth funds in shaping international markets.
📌 Bottom line: By merging L’imad and ADQ, Abu Dhabi is streamlining its investment ecosystem, consolidating key assets and talent, and creating a platform capable of influencing industries from energy and aviation to finance and technology worldwide.
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