ABU DHABI, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- A senior executive from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) said here on Tuesday that investments from China are expected to grow as the emirate diversifies its economy and more Chinese companies plan to establish businesses here.
"In terms of geographies, we are looking to attract more investments from the U.S., Asia, and China. We see a lot of interest from companies to use Abu Dhabi as a hub," said Massimo Falcioni, ADIO's chief competitiveness officer, in an exclusive interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the four-day Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) that opened on Monday.
He noted that China is diversifying its traditional exports, which continue to grow and still have significant market potential.
"We're registering a lot of Chinese companies which want to come here. They want not only to assemble their products, but also start manufacturing here. We have seen this in the automotive and mechanics industries mostly," said Falcioni, who leads ADIO's efforts to grow and diversify Abu Dhabi's economy through private-sector investments.
Official statistics showed that Abu Dhabi's real GDP grew 3.8 percent in 2024 compared to 2023, reaching a record 1.2 trillion UAE dirhams (324 billion U.S. dollars). The growth was driven by the non-oil sector, which expanded 6.2 percent, making its highest-ever annual contribution of 54.7 percent to total GDP.
Talking about Abu Dhabi's investment outlook for 2026, Falcioni said he remained optimistic despite high geopolitical risks.
"A lot of investors and funds want to diversify and look at areas outside the U.S. or Europe. The Middle East is a great opportunity, in particular Abu Dhabi," he said.
ADFW is one of the region's leading business and investment events. This year, it brings together global leaders, market experts, policymakers, and investors from over 100 countries to promote dialogue and cooperation.
