Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with its territory bifurcated by the Sarawak district of Limbang. Brunei is the only sovereign state entirely on Borneo; the remainder of the island is divided between its multi-landmass neighbours of Malaysia and Indonesia. As of 2020, the country had a population of 460,345, of whom approximately 100,000 resided in the capital and largest city of Bandar Seri Begawan. Its official language is Malay and Islam is the state religion of the country, although other religions are nominally tolerated. The government of Brunei is an absolute monarchy ruled by the Sultan of Brunei, and it implements a fusion of English common law and jurisprudence inspired by Islam, including sharia.
The economy of Brunei, a small and wealthy country, is a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation and welfare measures, and village traditions. It is almost entirely supported by exports of crude oil and natural gas, with revenues from the petroleum sector accounting for over half of GDP. Per capita GDP is high, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes food and housing. The government has shown progress in its basic policy of diversifying the economy away from oil and gas. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion although it has taken steps to become a more prominent player by serving as chairman for the 2000 APEC forum. Growth in 1999 was estimated at 2.5% due to higher oil prices in the second half.
The United Arab Emirates is a high-income developing market economy. The UAE's economy is the 3rd largest in the Middle East, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of US$415 billion in 2021-2023.
Dubai International Capital (DIC) is the international investment arm of Dubai Holding, a global conglomerate and sovereign wealth fund of the government of Dubai and its ruling family. DIC invests private funds on behalf of Dubai Holding and several large third-party investors around the world with a mandate to build a portfolio of internationally diversified assets.
Iqbal Khan is the founding board member and chief executive officer of Fajr Capital, and a member of the board of directors of Jadwa Investment in Saudi Arabia, Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam in Brunei and MENA Infrastructure Fund.
Nasser Saidi is a Lebanese politician and economist who served as the minister of economy and industry and the Vice Governor for the Lebanese central banks for several terms in the last decade of the 20th century.
EFG Hermes Holding S.A.E. is an Egyptian financial services company present in the Middle East, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia regions and specializes in securities brokerage, asset management, investment banking, private equity and research in addition to finance lease, factoring, microfinance, Financial technology, mortgage, and insurance. EFG Hermes serves a range of clients including sovereign wealth funds, endowments, corporations, financial institutions, high-net-worth clients and individual customers. EFG Hermes is listed on the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) and London (LSE) stock exchanges. EFG Hermes has offices in Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Pakistan, Oman, Kuwait, Jordan, Kenya, Nigeria, UK, United States and Bangladesh with over 4,500 people from 25 nationalities. They serve clients from the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and the United States. Currently, EFG Holding is listed as number 13 in Forbes' Top 50 Listed Companies in Egypt 2023.
Mubadala Investment Company PJSC, or simply Mubadala, is an Emirati state-owned holding company that acts as one of the sovereign wealth funds of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The company was established in 2017 when then-named Mubadala Development Company and the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) merged.
Challenger Ltd is a provider of contract oil and gas land drilling and workover services.
Actis is a global investment firm focused on the private equity, energy, infrastructure, and real estate asset classes.
Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) is the UAE's largest free-trade zone that is located in the Jumeirah Lake Towers district of Dubai. Created in 2002, it serves as a commodities exchange that deals in four main sectors: precious commodities ; energy; steel and metals and agricultural commodities. In August 2020, the Investment Corporation of Dubai, a sovereign wealth fund, became the parent company of the autonomous DMCC as part of a major restructuring.
GFH Financial Group, previously known as Gulf Finance House, is an Islamic investment bank with headquarters in Bahrain Financial Harbour, Bahrain.
The National Development Fund of Iran is Iran's sovereign wealth fund. It was founded in 2011 to supplement the Oil Stabilization Fund. NDFI is independent of the government's budget. Based on Article 84 of the Fifth Five-year Socio-Economic Development Plan (2010–2015), the National Development Fund was established to transform oil and gas revenues to productive investment for future generation. It is a member of the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds and therefore is signed up to the Santiago Principles on best practice in managing sovereign wealth funds. Withdrawing any money from this fund requires Khamenei's permission.
Waha Capital is an Abu Dhabi-listed investment company that offers shareholders and third-party investors exposure to high-potential opportunities in diversified asset classes. The company manages assets across several sectors, including aircraft leasing, healthcare, financial services, energy, infrastructure, industrial real estate and capital markets. Through its Principal Investments unit, Waha Capital has established a strong investment track-record, deploying capital in sectors that display robust demand fundamentals and that have been prioritised by governments in the Middle East and North Africa region. The company has also built a strong capability in managing global and regional credit and equity portfolios, which have enhanced the diversification and liquidity of Waha Capital’s balance sheet.
Abu Dhabi Financial Group (ADFG) is a global investment management group, headquartered in Abu Dhabi.
Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam is an Islamic Bank in Brunei. Established in 2005 with the merger of Islamic Bank of Brunei and Islamic Development Bank of Brunei, it is based in Bandar Seri Begawan.
Faizal Edavalath Kottikollon is a United Arab Emirates-based Indian entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the founder and chairman of KEF Holdings – a diversified company known for establishing technologically integrated enterprises across multiple industries. He is also Chairman of the Board of Meitra Hospital – an advanced tertiary care hospital in Kozhikode, Kerala.
Investment Corporation of Dubai is the principal investment arm of the Government of Dubai focused on strengthening Dubai’s economy through long-term value and wealth creation and investing in global opportunities. Established in 2006, ICD manages the Government of Dubai Portfolio of commercial companies and investments. In 2022, ICD reported assets worth $320 billion and revenue of $73 billion. The Dubai-based corporation provides strategic oversight, develops and implements investment strategies and corporate governance policies, and operates in multiple sectors, including oil and gas, transportation, banking, and financial services.
Dubai Investment Fund (DIF) is an independent international asset and investment management company headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
