“We Invest Early, Build Local Capability, And Make Decisions Before The Market Has Fully Priced The Opportunity.” Mubadala CEO Shares The Investment Lessons Behind Abu Dhabi’s Transformation

Dr. Bakheet Al Katheeri, CEO of the UAE Investments Platform at Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi-headquartered global investment firm, has highlighted the role of long-term investing and ecosystem building in the capital city’s innovation strategy. His statements were made on the first day of Abu Dhabi-based startup accelerator Hub71’s Impact Event 2026, an annual event that convenes startup, investment, and innovation ecosystem, running from June 9-10 at Manarat Al Saadiyat.

“Mubadala was founded in 2002 with a clear mandate: to diversify our economy, to build national capabilities, and to invest with conviction across generations,” Dr. Al Katheeri said. “The vision, set in motion by our founding father H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and carried forward under H.H. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, was unquestioned.”

“24 years later, those principles still guide us,” he added. “We invest early, we build local capability, and we make decisions before the market has fully priced the opportunity.”

While shedding light on Mubadala’s investment journey in Abu Dhabi, Dr. Al Katheeri also noted its parallels with Hub71’s own growth trajectory. “The story of Hub71 is in many ways that of Mubadala itself,” he said. “Today, Hub71 is home to nearly 400 startups from more than 70 countries. Together, they have raised around US$2.7 billion in funding and generated around US$1.5 billion in revenue. In 2025, Hub71 also attracted 5,000 startup applications, representing a 62% year-on-year increase, and welcomed 52 new startups into its community.”

Dr. Al Katheeri explained that Hub71 is a prime example of the broader development strategy being used in Abu Dhabi’s technology sector. “We did not wait for a standard way to reach our economy. We built the place where founders could start, grow, and thrive.”

The CEO remarked that when Hub71 was launched in Abu Dhabi, not everyone understood the rationale behind deploying capital and resources into an early-stage startup ecosystem. “Some asked why a sovereign investor would employ capital behind early-stage numbers when safer options were on the table,” he said. 

Mubadala’s broader economic impact, however, serves as evidence of the long-term value creation that can result from investing ahead of market consensus, he said. “In 2025, assets under management reached AED1.4 trillion. Today, the UAE Investments Platform is valued at AED280 billion across more than 100 companies. Last year, that contributed AED45 billion to Abu Dhabi’s GDP and supported around 98,000 jobs.”

Reflecting on the lessons that have shaped Mubadala’s growth over the years, Dr. Al Katheeri emphasized the importance of adopting a people-centric approach. “The team is what carried the institution when the plan had to change,” he said. “Our people are building the communities, partnerships, and companies that connect the UAE to the world. Second, conviction matters more than consensus. Ideas do not always begin with agreement; they begin with conviction. That is usually where institutions are built.”

“Abu Dhabi is the proof,” he added. “Character, conviction, and belief can turn a questioned idea into something the world comes to admire.”