The United Arab Emirates has solidified its position as a global financial powerhouse, ranking as the world’s fourth-largest state investor with approximately $2.93 trillion (Dh10.75 trillion) in managed assets according to Global SWF’s 2026 Annual Report. This remarkable achievement places the UAE behind only the United States ($13.2 trillion), China ($8.22 trillion), and Japan ($3.84 trillion) in sovereign investment rankings, while surpassing Norway’s $2.27 trillion in assets.
The nation’s investment architecture is dominated by several massive sovereign entities. Leading the portfolio is the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority with $1.18 trillion in assets, followed by the Investment Corporation of Dubai ($429 billion), Mubadala Investment Company ($358 billion), ADQ ($251 billion), Emirates Investment Authority ($116 billion), Dubai Investment Fund ($80 billion), and Dubai Holding ($72 billion).
This financial milestone comes alongside Abu Dhabi’s recent recognition as the world’s wealthiest city in Global SWF’s First City Ranking in October 2024, where it surpassed Oslo with $1.7 trillion in assets managed by funds headquartered within the city, earning it the title ‘Capital of the Capital’.
The UAE also emerged as the fifth-largest recipient of sovereign investment globally in 2025, attracting $9.9 billion—a significant increase from $7.9 billion in 2024. This positions the country behind the United States ($131.8 billion), United Kingdom ($25.8 billion), Germany ($18.8 billion), and Canada ($17.7 billion) in foreign sovereign investment.
Globally, state-owned investors reached unprecedented scale throughout 2025, capitalizing on financial market rallies and pursuing major cross-sector deals while developing innovative investment strategies and partnerships. Sovereign wealth funds alone achieved a historic milestone by exceeding $15 trillion in assets for the first time in December 2025. Combined with public pension funds and central banks, these entities now manage approximately $60 trillion in global assets and reserves, with projections suggesting this figure could approach $80 trillion by 2030.
Geographic distribution of these assets shows Asia holding over one-third of the total, followed by North America (26%), Europe (19%), and the MENA region (15%). Analysts anticipate sovereign wealth funds will outpace the growth of public pension funds and central banks in coming years, potentially increasing the relative weight of Asian and MENA regions while North American and European growth may stabilize.