Mubadala-backed Clipway closes record secondaries fund + Mubadala eyes tier-one status for Strata

Mubadala wants tier-one status for Strata

Mubadala just tapped yet another firm to strengthen the UAE’s aviation stack. The Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund inked a framework agreement with Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer that opens the door for expanded maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) operations, joint R&D, and a shot at tier-one supplier status for two of Mubadala’s aerospace units, according to a press release.

Under the framework, Abu Dhabi MRO specialist Sanad — which already services more than 40 global airlines — could pick up MRO work on Embraer aircraft, with room to expand into the wider GCC and SAMENA markets. Al Ain-based Strata Manufacturing, whose workforce is 68% Emirati, gets a pathway toward tier-one supplier status on Embraer platforms, plus a role in joint R&D on composites, additive manufacturing, and high-temperature alloys.

Strata is also in talks to build advanced composite structures for Embraer’s E2 family under a separate MoU signed the same day. The two sides will work through technical, commercial, and contractual milestones before any work package is confirmed.

Why it matters: Embraer, like its larger rivals, is narrowing its supplier base to fewer partners that can deliver end-to-end. Strata already has the resume: it was the first company in the Arab world to become a direct composite supplier to Boeing and later took on full assembly of 787 vertical fins.

BACKGROUND- The UAE has been inking partnerships with other international names, including French aerospace firm Safran, on aviation manufacturing facilities in the UAE, as part of a wider drive to bring manufacturing in-house.

Mubadala-backed player closes record secondaries fund debut

Mubadala-backed secondaries firm Clipway raised USD 6.4 bn for its Secondary Fund I, making it the biggest debut platform of its kind, the UK-based private equity player said in a press release. Clipway focuses on secondary transactions in markets in Western Europe and North America and has closed upward of USD 6 bn in transaction volumes so far.

IN CONTEXT- Secondary market volumes are on track to approach USD 200 bn by the end of the year amid growing interest from smaller investors and newer private-market participants in the asset class and increased demand for faster exit routes and more flexibility. Other Emirati names like Adia, Shuaa, and Stake are among those that have also made secondary plays recently.