Abu Dhabi has created a new sovereign investment platform, L’IMAD Holding Company, consolidating state holding vehicle ADQ and its $263bn portfolio into a single, more powerful structure. The move, formalised by a resolution of the Supreme Council for Financial and Economic Affairs (SCFEA), signals a generational shift in investment influence towards Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who chairs L’IMAD and is being positioned as a central architect of the emirate’s next phase of economic strategy.
The consolidation places L’IMAD and ADQ under one umbrella to form a diversified sovereign investment powerhouse aligned with Abu Dhabi’s wider agenda of sustainable investment, private‑sector development, and accelerated economic diversification. L’IMAD is mandated to build national champions in strategically important sectors through 25 investment platforms and more than 250 subsidiaries. Key holdings include TAQA and Etihad Rail in energy and infrastructure, Etihad Airways and Abu Dhabi Ports in aviation and logistics, PureHealth and Louis Dreyfus in healthcare and food, and Modon Properties, Wio Bank, McLaren, and other specialised assets in real estate, finance, and mobility.
L’IMAD, established in late 2025, has already absorbed CYVN’s automotive stakes, including McLaren and an 18 per cent holding in Chinese EV manufacturer Nio, as well as a large property portfolio via Modon. It is also playing a leading role in Abu Dhabi’s participation in the proposed $108bn hostile bid for Warner Bros launched by David Ellison’s Paramount, reinforcing the emirate’s growing weight in global deal‑making.
Under managing director and CEO Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Al Zaabi, L’IMAD will pursue direct and indirect investments across public and private markets, with a focus on international expansion through private investment funds and strategic partnerships in high‑priority industrial and technology sectors. SCFEA retains high‑level oversight of Abu Dhabi’s core sovereign investors – Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Mubadala Investment Company, and L’IMAD – as well as ADNOC, ensuring strategic alignment across capital deployment, energy, and petrochemicals.
For counterparties and partners across EMEA, the emergence of L’IMAD clarifies Abu Dhabi’s sovereign architecture and creates a dedicated platform through which the crown prince can drive long‑term, globally oriented investment themes. DMX continues to track how Abu Dhabi’s evolving sovereign architecture reshapes capital flows and partnership opportunities across EMEA. Stay connected with us for on‑the‑ground insight into where Gulf capital is heading next.
