Banking, fintech, funds, capital markets and cross-border investment
The UAE and China have formalized a bilateral memorandum of understanding to accelerate two-way capital flows through joint investment platforms and dedicated funds. Concurrently, China's Luckin Coffee is evaluating an expansion into Gulf markets following a $1 billion investment deal involving Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala and Centurium Capital.
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority is in advanced talks to anchor a new private equity fund managed by China's Primavera Capital Group. The vehicle is designed to provide ADIA with secondary market exposure to Chinese technology firm ByteDance. The move aligns with the sovereign fund's strategy to expand secondary market investments in Chinese digital assets.
Enterprise reported multiple key business milestones across the UAE, including China Securities opening a regional office in DIFC and JD.com subsidiary JINGDONG Property developing a 150,000-square-metre logistics hub at KEZAD. The briefing also covered an investment partnership between First Abu Dhabi Bank and Temasek-owned Seviora Holdings, as well as a $5 million Series A fundraise by UAE startup Amaani to expand its AÏZA brand into Saudi Arabia.
The BlackRock Investment Institute reported that China is increasingly competing on quality rather than pure scale across advanced manufacturing and technology. In 2025, China represented 14.8% of global merchandise exports while its import share dropped to 9.8% amid deeper domestic supply integration. BlackRock maintained a neutral stance on broader Chinese equities while highlighting selective opportunities in physical AI and tech hardware.
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