The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) has been instrumental in supporting Abu Dhabi’s ambition to lead in innovation-driven industries and bolster its global partnerships.
His Excellency Hareb Al Mheiri, executive director of the Investment Growth Sector, ADIO, tells Economy Middle East the multifarious aspects of fulfilling its mission and why it’s “not transactional” approach is essential in building long-term partnerships rooted in mutually beneficial growth.
As executive director of the Investor Growth Sector at ADIO, you’re at the forefront of supporting Abu Dhabi’s transformation into a thriving global economy. How is ADIO enhancing the investor journey to attract, integrate and grow international businesses and talent in the emirate?
At ADIO, we are building a seamless investor experience from first engagement and onboarding to growth and long-term success. We support investors at every stage, providing a “one-stop-shop” experience that covers business establishment, market entry and expansion.
In addition to licensing and regulatory support, we help investors leverage Abu Dhabi’s progressive business environment, which includes 100 percent foreign ownership across most sectors, zero percent personal income tax and access to a $2.5 trillion market through the UAE’s trade agreements.
Beyond enabling business growth, we focus on personal integration, offering support with housing, education, residency, banking, and more to ensure that investors and their families thrive in Abu Dhabi.
A pertinent example is H2O Hospitality, a South Korean digital services company we supported in establishing its MENA headquarters in Abu Dhabi through ADIO’s tailored onboarding and expansion support.
Today, H2O is expanding across the GCC, using Abu Dhabi as its operational launchpad. Our approach is not transactional; it is about building long-term partnerships rooted in shared growth.
ADIO has established several international offices. How have these global networks enhanced your ability to attract foreign investment, and what specific regions or markets are you targeting for future expansion?
ADIO’s international network extends Abu Dhabi’s open, outward-looking vision to strategic global markets. Our offices abroad serve as direct bridges to investors around the world, enabling real-time engagement and response to market needs.
They also allow us to showcase Abu Dhabi’s unmatched advantages, including its favorable tax environment, progressive regulations and exceptional quality of life, to global investors.
These networks have been instrumental in building trusted relationships that have translated into investments across Abu Dhabi’s priority sectors. For example, Neoply, a leading South Korean blockchain company, established operations in Abu Dhabi following engagements with our Seoul office.
Looking ahead, we are expanding our footprint in key Asian economies, such as Japan and China, while exploring new opportunities across Europe and North America, supporting Abu Dhabi’s ambition to lead in innovation-driven industries and bolster its global partnerships.
The Abu Dhabi Investment Forum (ADIF) has emerged as a key platform for driving strategic global investments. Following your recent success in China, what can we expect from the upcoming Tokyo edition, and how do these forums advance Abu Dhabi’s position as a global investment hub?
ADIF is a catalyst to shape the future of investment through direct, strategic engagement with our partners from around the world. Our successful events in Beijing and Shanghai reinforced Abu Dhabi’s leadership across sectors such as advanced manufacturing, life sciences and smart mobility, resulting in key agreements with major Chinese firms such as Wind Information, Fosun and Hejun Group.
At our upcoming forum in Tokyo, we will build on this momentum, showcasing Abu Dhabi as a global hub for innovation, investment and growth.
ADIF Japan will bring together Japan’s top CEOs, institutional investors and policymakers, along with Abu Dhabi’s economic leadership, to explore investment opportunities in advanced technology, finance and sustainable infrastructure — sectors that are at the heart of both Abu Dhabi’s economic priorities and Japan’s innovation agenda.
At ADIF Japan, we aim to deepen collaboration with Japanese multinationals and SMEs seeking expansion in the region, while also highlighting Abu Dhabi’s forward-looking economic clusters, world-class regulatory environment and dynamic investment landscape. ADIO plays a key role in driving economic development across the region.
How does this focus on fostering growth and investment, particularly through initiatives like regional development and public-private partnerships, contribute to enhancing quality of life as an important byproduct of that growth?
In Abu Dhabi, economic development and quality of life are inseparable. We are building an economy of scale and substance that empowers communities, drives innovation and supports long-term prosperity. Our work helps ensure that the emirate remains a destination where individuals, families and businesses can thrive.
This approach informs our strategy, particularly as we extend investment and economic opportunity beyond Abu Dhabi city, ensuring inclusive growth across the emirate.
For example, our map-based Musataha tender platform provides greater transparency and accessibility for local investors, highlighting available projects across Abu Dhabi, including the Al Ain and Al Dhafra regions. We’re also actively strengthening collaboration between our public and private sector partners to deliver transformational infrastructure projects, such as Harrow International School Abu Dhabi, which is set to be the emirate’s first boarding school.
This impactful initiative was the result of a collaborative effort between leading public and private sector entities, including support from ADIO through our Musataha program, exemplifying the kind of impactful projects that are made possible through our partnership-forward approach. Projects like these not only strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position as a global hub for investment, talent and innovation, they also empower our communities for generations to come.
ADIO provides “end-to-end investor support” through a one-stop-shop model. Could you share some success stories where this comprehensive approach has helped overcome challenges for investors entering the Abu Dhabi market?
Our one-stop-shop model is about removing barriers and accelerating market entry for investors, enabling them to scale with speed and confidence.
Archer Aviation’s entry into Abu Dhabi through our Smart and Autonomous Vehicles Industry (SAVI) cluster is a clear example of how ADIO’s comprehensive support model accelerates investor success.
Through a multi-party collaboration agreement, ADIO worked alongside key government entities and private sector partners to help Archer navigate regulatory approvals, develop critical infrastructure and integrate quickly into the market.
Archer is now preparing to launch the region’s first electric air taxi services, representing a new frontier in sustainable urban mobility, and we are proud that Abu Dhabi will be one of the first places in the world to embrace it at scale.
By removing barriers, aligning stakeholders and offering clear pathways for growth, ADIO helps pioneering companies like Archer overcome the complexities of entering a new market while positioning Abu Dhabi as a first mover in future-focused industries.
This success reflects the strength of our end-to-end approach; we do not just attract investors, we empower them to innovate, scale and contribute meaningfully to Abu Dhabi’s economic transformation.
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