Private investment heavyweight Fortress Investment Group and energy-focused private equity firm Kimmeridge have both launched new offices in Abu Dhabi, as they seek to capitalise on strategic partnerships with SWF Mubadala Investment Company, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The two firms officially opened their doors this week in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the UAE capital’s international financial centre, with ambitions to scale assets and originate deals across sectors. Both firms already maintain close relationships with Mubadala, which they are now looking to strengthen through increased on-the-ground presence.
The expansion comes amid heightened US-UAE economic diplomacy, with President Donald Trump visiting Abu Dhabi this week as part of a regional tour aimed at reinforcing US investment ties with the Gulf’s leading sovereign investors. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have collectively pledged more than $2 trillion of future investment into the US across sectors including technology, infrastructure, and energy.
Kimmeridge, which recently sold a stake in one of its gas-producing units to Mubadala — giving the UAE investor its first direct exposure to US gas production — is looking to grow its LNG trading capabilities by 2027. The firm will begin building a local trading team in Abu Dhabi to tap demand growth in Asia, according to co-founder Ben Dell.
“What’s interesting to me in the LNG market is where your incremental growth is coming from, and that’s really the Asian subcontinent,” Dell said..
Fortress, meanwhile, is focused on expanding its presence in corporate credit, real estate, and asset-backed strategies. The firm is currently scaling its operations in the region following Mubadala’s $1bn strategic investment and acquisition of a majority stake in Fortress last year.
