Tuesday 12 January 2010

HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Zayed Al Nehayan, Managing Director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) (PDF 11pages)

The following interview with HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Zayed Al Nehayan, Managing Director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, was published in Germany’s business daily newspaper Handelsblatt on 11 January, 2010.

The interview was conducted by Michael Backfisch, Middle East Bureau Chief of Handelsblatt.

1.To many people, there is still a lot of mystery around sovereign wealth funds and how they operate. How would you define ADIA?

The SWF label can be confusing because it is used broadly to cover dozens of institutions which actually have very different objectives, strategies and styles.

We prefer to be seen simply as a globally-diversified investment institution, with the difference being that our owner is the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. But I like to think that ADIA is unique. First and foremost, we have a truly long-term focus and are able to build strategies that aim to outperform the market over an extended period. We are also one of the most established funds and have been refining our approach to investing over more than 30 years. And lastly, we are fortunate to have not only a large number of very talented in-house professionals, but also close relationships with many world-class external managers whose combined expertise gives us a global perspective and insights into market flows and trends.

ADIA’s sole mission, which has not changed in over 30 years, is to secure and maintain the current and future welfare of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. This ensures that our investing strategy stays focused on long-term trends rather than the ups and downs of individual cycles.

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