Abu Dhabi Overtakes Oslo for Sovereign Wealth Fund Capital in Global SWF’s First City Ranking 

Today, industry specialist Global SWF published a special report announcing a new global ranking of cities according to the capital managed by their Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs). 

The findings show that Abu Dhabi is the leading city that manages the most SWF capital globally, thanks to the US$ 1.7 trillion in assets managed by its various SWFs headquartered in the capital of the UAE. These include the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Mubadala Investment Company (MIC), Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADQ), and the Emirates Investment Authority (EIA). 

Abu Dhabi now ranks slightly above Oslo, home to the world’s largest SWF, the Government Pension Fund (GPF), which manages over US$ 1.6 trillion in assets. Abu Dhabi and Oslo are followed by Beijing (headquarters of the China Investment Corporation), Singapore (with GIC Private and Temasek Holdings), Riyadh (home to the Public Investment Fund), and Hong Kong (where China’s second SWF, SAFE Investment Corporation, operates from). Together, these six cities represent two thirds of the capital managed by SWFs globally, i.e., US$ 12.5 trillion as of October 1, 2024. 

For the past few decades, Abu Dhabi has grown an impressive portfolio of institutional investors, which are among the world’s largest and most active dealmakers. In addition to its SWFs, the emirate is home to several other asset owners, including central banks, pension funds, and family offices linked to member of the Royal Family. Altogether, Abu Dhabi’s public capital is estimated at US$ 2.3 trillion and is projected to reach US$ 3.4 trillion by 2030, according to Global SWF estimates. 

Abu Dhabi, often referred to as the “Capital of Capital,” also leads when it comes to human capital i.e., the number of personnel employed by SWFs of that jurisdiction, with 3,107 staff working for funds based in the city. 

Diego López, Founder and Managing Director of Global SWF, said: “The world ranking confirms the concentration of Sovereign Wealth Funds in a select number of cities, underscoring the significance of these financial hubs on the global stage. This report offers valuable insights into the landscape of SWF-managed capital and shows how it is shifting and expanding in certain cities in the world.”