BlackRock Secures Abu Dhabi License to Expand Middle Eastern Presence

On Nov 19, 2024

BlackRock Inc., the world’s largest asset manager, holding $11.4 trillion in assets under management, has obtained a commercial license to operate in Abu Dhabi. This strategic move aims to increase its presence in the region, particularly among local wealth funds. The company is also in the process of seeking regulatory approval to conduct operations within the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), an international financial hub that has become a home for numerous financial and crypto firms.

BlackRock’s expansion strategy focuses on enhancing its engagement with Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth funds, asset managers, and various investment channels. The areas of concentration include artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and sustainable investment opportunities.

Abu Dhabi’s Role as a Financial Center

The decision to establish a presence in Abu Dhabi aligns with the emirate’s ambitions to position itself as a prominent financial center, rivaling other regional players such as Dubai and Riyadh. Abu Dhabi has taken proactive steps to attract international capital markets, evidenced by significant investments in digital finance and AI technologies. Charles Hatami, BlackRock’s head of Middle East operations, praised Abu Dhabi for its transformation into a global financial hub, attributing this to its favorable government policies and sustainable growth initiatives. He emphasized the city’s strategic location as a critical factor in its appeal for capital markets.

The increased focus on AI is evident through large-scale investments like Microsoft’s $1.6 billion funding of G42, a tech holding company specializing in AI. While BlackRock has not specifically outlined digital assets as part of its Abu Dhabi initiative, the firm’s global interest in emerging technologies, including AI, situates it well in a region that is becoming more open to crypto-related activities.

BlackRock’s Growing Influence in the Crypto Space

BlackRock has been at the forefront of promoting crypto adoption, even beyond its Middle Eastern expansion. Recently, its iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) has surpassed the iShares Gold ETF (IAU) in net assets, with a value of $33.17 billion as of November 7, within a year of its inception. Additionally, its spot Bitcoin ETF experienced a record-breaking $1.1 billion in inflows in a single day, coinciding with Bitcoin’s latest all-time high of $76,943. The new peak for Bitcoin has since risen to $93,000. The inflows accounted for 82% of the $1.34 billion total seen across U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs on that day, signaling BlackRock’s deepening influence on the crypto market.

Broadening Middle Eastern Strategy

BlackRock’s expansion into Abu Dhabi is part of a broader Middle Eastern strategy, which includes a growing presence in Saudi Arabia. Last month, the asset manager disclosed plans to establish a regional headquarters in Riyadh, bolstered by up to $5 billion in investments from the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF). The focus of these investments is on developing key projects across the region. BlackRock has previously collaborated with Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan on various initiatives, including energy infrastructure and data warehouses.

To further strengthen its regional leadership, BlackRock has appointed Mohammad Alfahim as head of its UAE operations, while Ben Powell has taken on the role of Chief Middle East and Asia Pacific Investment Strategist.

🌍 @BlackRock has obtained a commercial license to operate in Abu Dhabi, aiming to strengthen ties with local wealth funds and explore AI and sustainable investments.#BlackRock #AbuDhabihttps://t.co/13VlHmIjAQ
— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) November 18, 2024

Expansion of BlackRock’s Tokenized Liquidity Fund

In a noteworthy development, BlackRock is expanding the reach of its BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL). Previously limited to the Ethereum blockchain, the fund is now accessible on five additional blockchains: Aptos, Arbitrum, Avalanche, Optimism’s OP Mainnet, and Polygon. This expansion facilitates deeper integration with decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystems, offering institutional investors and protocol treasuries enhanced opportunities for stable yields and collateral use in DeFi trading. Tokenized by Securitize and backed by U.S. Treasury bills, the fund currently leads the $2.3 billion tokenized Treasury market, with deposits exceeding $520 million.

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