Abu Dhabi-owned Mubadala Investment Company, the sovereign investor managing a global portfolio of assets valued at $243 billion, has been named the ‘2021 Fund of the Year’ award.
The award is instituted by Global SWF, a comprehensive Data Platform that tracks all the world’s Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) and Public Pension Funds (PPFs).
While announcing the award for Mubadala, Diego Lopez, Global SWF managing director, said: “For its significant contribution to the development of Abu Dhabi and the UAE, for its leadership in pursuing global partnerships, for its unparalleled investment and divestment activity displayed throughout the year, and, in general, for its contribution to the advancement of the SWF industry, Global SWF believes that Mubadala Investment Company is a worthy recipient of the 2021 Fund of the Year award.”
Ahmed Al Calily, Mubadala’s Chief Strategy and Risk Officer, said that Mubdala is delighted to be named Fund of the Year in 2021, which is one of the most active years in the company’s history after seeing the establishment of several global partnerships and announcement of a number of IPOs.
Al Calily said: “Mubadala has set the ambitious goal of doubling our portfolio while maintaining sustainable financial returns, supporting Abu Dhabi’s diversification and positively impacting the communities where we invest.
“2021 has also been one of our most active years. Our investments this year have involved global partnerships with BlackRock, Silver Lake, SoftBank, Bpifrance, and the UK government, to name just a few. Monetisation activities included the partial sale of Aldar, one of the largest private share purchases in a UAE-listed company, the IPO of Yahsat, our first-ever listing on ADX; and the listing of GlobalFoundries on the NASDAQ, one of the largest IPOs of 2021.”
While GlobalFoundries has been constantly in the news amidst the unprecedented global microprocessor shortage and its recent listing, the company was also recently involved in Abu Dhabi’s energy transition plans. The recent partnership with ADNOC and TAQA is expected to propel Masdar’s (a Mubadala owned company) renewable capacity to more than 50GW by 2030 and create a global clean energy powerhouse.
“Mubadala’s journey has reflected the growth and evolution of Abu Dhabi itself: always forward-leaning, looking to future possibilities and how to leverage the strengths of today to create opportunities for generations to come,” Al Calily added in an interview to GlobalSWF.
Today, Mubadala is a global, unique, and responsible investor with an ambition to double its size over the next decade. Our organisational structure, strategy and global partnerships are meant to take advantage of a range of investments, particularly in sectors with significant ‘tailwinds’, including technology, life sciences, renewable energy and fintech to name a few. We will also seek opportunities in more traditional sectors.
“Investing responsibly has always been central to Mubadala’s approach, focusing on both financial and social returns. With our evolution, we have continued to drive and institutionalize our approach to ESG principles and factors.
“As a responsible investor, we are committed to supporting the economic diversification of Abu Dhabi while leaving a positive lasting impact on the communities where we invest worldwide. As we progress with our activities and ambitions, we will continue to align ourselves with the Economic Vision 2030 including supporting a large empowered private sector, maintaining strong and diverse international relationships, and optimizing the UAE’s resources.”
