The quiet Abu Dhabi power player now steering USD 300 bn through a volatile region

The increasingly prominent role of Abu Dhabi’s Jassem Al Zaabi is being spotlighted by the international press, with Bloomberg reporting that, after having moved through Abu Dhabi’s financial machinery with little public attention, things are changing for the emirate’s Finance Department chairman.

As CEO and managing director of L’imad, Al Zaabi has emerged as one of the most consequential figures in Abu Dhabi’s power structure as war rattles the region and global financiers scramble to understand how Gulf money will move next. The fund, estimated by Global SWF to oversee around USD 300 bn, now sits at the center of Abu Dhabi’s next investment chapter, most recently teaming up on a USD 30 bn infrastructure platform.

Inside financial circles, Al Zaabi has quietly become what some describe as Abu Dhabi’s “money man” — the official helping coordinate strategy across an empire of sovereign vehicles with roughly USD 2 tn in assets. Al Zaabi played a key role for Abu Dhabi in backing Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros Discovery, people familiar with the matter told the business information service.

IN CONTEXT- Iran’s attacks on regional energy infrastructure and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz have sharpened concerns around energy security and supply chains, triggering a rethink for oil-reliant Gulf economies which are increasingly looking to sectors like defense and infrastructure to safeguard their economies.