UAE sovereigns continue to seek external capital, with Adia now looking to secure an AUD-denominated loan backed by Australian assets. The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia) is looking to raise AUD 3.75 bn (USD 2.6 bn), sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. The financing will be channeled to Adia to use as working capital.

Backing the loan: The debt would be backed by minority stakes in four Australian infrastructure assets held through its subsidiary, Tawreed Investments. The assets in question include the Port of Brisbane, in which it owns a minority stake from a 2010 USD 2.1 bn agreement, and Sydney’s WestConnex tunnel, in which Tawreed has a stake as part of a consortium.

The debt’s structure: The package includes an AUD 2.2 bn tranche maturing in five years, an AUD 1.3 bn tranche due in seven years, and a five-year AUD 25 mn working-capital facility. The facilities will carry interest margins of 180 bps for the five-year tranche and 200 bps for the seven-year tranche over Australia’s bank bill swap rate.

Why look outwards?

Adia could be avoiding selling stakes at a loss in a down market by funding capital needs without taking unattractive bids, a strategy it used with Transgrid in 2025. GCC SWFs are increasingly using debt to bridge the gap between long-term holding periods and urgent capital needs.

Emirati SWFs have been ramping up their exposure to outside funding: Mubadala Capital recently raised USD 554 mn for its first dedicated co-investment vehicle, while Mubadala Capital found a minority shareholder in US-based investment firm TWG Global, who bought a 5% stake in the firm for USD 2.5 bn.

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