Despite the economic shadows cast by the ongoing US-Iran conflict and disruptions to trade routes, Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds remain major players on the global stage. According to the 2026 Mena Playbook from Global SWF, regional state-owned investors deployed a combined $102 billion across 245 transactions during the first nine months of the year. Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala led this charge, investing $26.2 billion through its various subsidiaries, with a strong focus on high-growth technology sectors like AI—a strategy mirrored by peers like Saudi Arabia’s PIF and the Qatar Investment Authority.

Looking ahead, while the current fiscal climate—marked by oil dependency and budget deficits in countries like Kuwait and Qatar—has triggered some uncertainty, the long-term outlook remains bullish. The report anticipates that total assets under management for Mena sovereign investors could swell to $13 trillion by 2030, supported by a projected annual growth rate of nearly 10 percent. Although the immediate focus is on managing liquidity amid potential tax reforms and shifting fiscal strategies, the region’s commitment to strategic international investments—particularly in the US and technology-focused sectors—shows that these funds are prioritizing long-term resilience over short-term volatility.