Dr. Bakheet Al Katheeri, Chief Executive Officer of the UAE Investments Platform at Mubadala, has highlighted the importance of long-term investing and ecosystem development in Abu Dhabi’s economic transformation and innovation strategy.
Speaking during the opening day of Hub71’s Impact Event 2026 at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Dr. Al Katheeri reflected on Mubadala’s role in supporting economic diversification and building future industries in the UAE.
Investing Across Generations
According to Dr. Al Katheeri, Mubadala was established in 2002 with a clear mandate to diversify the UAE economy, develop national capabilities and invest with a long-term perspective that extends beyond short-term market cycles.
He noted that the investment philosophy introduced under the vision of the UAE’s founding leadership continues to shape the institution’s strategy more than two decades later.
That approach, he explained, centers around investing early, building local expertise and making strategic decisions before opportunities become widely recognized by global markets.
Hub71 Reflects Abu Dhabi’s Development Strategy
Dr. Al Katheeri described Hub71 as an example of the wider approach Abu Dhabi has adopted toward innovation and entrepreneurship.
Rather than waiting for startup ecosystems to emerge organically, Abu Dhabi chose to build the infrastructure, support systems and investment environment necessary for founders to establish and scale businesses locally.
He noted that Hub71 now hosts nearly 400 startups representing more than 70 countries.
Collectively, companies within the ecosystem have raised approximately US$2.7 billion in funding and generated around US$1.5 billion in revenues.
During 2025, Hub71 received approximately 5,000 startup applications, representing annual growth of 62%, while adding 52 new startups to its community.
Investing Ahead of Market Consensus
Dr. Al Katheeri acknowledged that the decision to allocate resources toward early-stage startups was not universally understood when Hub71 was initially launched.
However, he argued that creating long-term value often requires conviction before opportunities become obvious to the wider market.
According to Dr. Al Katheeri, this willingness to invest ahead of consensus has become one of Mubadala’s defining characteristics over the past two decades.
Mubadala’s Growing Economic Impact
Reflecting on Mubadala’s broader contribution to the UAE economy, Dr. Al Katheeri noted that the institution’s assets under management reached approximately AED1.4 trillion during 2025.
The UAE Investments Platform alone is valued at approximately AED280 billion and includes investments across more than 100 companies.
According to the figures shared during the event, these investments contributed around AED45 billion to Abu Dhabi’s gross domestic product during 2025 while supporting approximately 98,000 jobs.
People and Conviction Drive Institutions
Dr. Al Katheeri highlighted two lessons that have shaped Mubadala’s growth over the years: the importance of people and the value of conviction.
He emphasized that strong teams and partnerships allow institutions to adapt when plans change, while conviction often matters more than consensus when building new industries and opportunities.
According to Dr. Al Katheeri, many transformative ideas begin without widespread agreement and only gain recognition after years of sustained commitment and execution.
Why It Matters
Mubadala’s strategy reflects Abu Dhabi’s broader economic model of investing early in sectors and technologies that can shape the future economy. As global competition for talent, capital and innovation intensifies, the emirate continues to position itself around long-term thinking, ecosystem development and institution building rather than short-term market trends.
