Sovereign wealth funds pour $66 billion into AI as assets hit $15 trillion

Dubai: Sovereign wealth funds globally amassed a record $15 trillion in assets under management in a year when many deepened their technology investments and profited from buoyant markets, according to a new report by Global SWF.

Overall, sovereign-owned investors ploughed $66 billion into artificial intelligence and digitalisation in 2025, the data firm said. Middle East sovereign wealth funds led on digital investments, with Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Co. investing $12.9 billion in AI and digitalisation, followed by the Kuwait Investment Authority’s $6 billion and Qatar Investment Authority’s $4 billion in 2025.

The Middle East continues to be a hotspot for sovereign wealth fund riches. The main seven Gulf wealth funds accounted for 43% of all capital invested by state-owned investors globally at $126 billion, a historical maximum.

In particular, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund was the single largest dealmaker of 2025 by committing $36.2 billion. Still, the PIF’s participation in the acquisition of Electronic Arts Inc. made up the bulk of that figure.

Stripping out that deal, Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala was the most active sovereign wealth fund, investing a record $32.7 billion over 40 transactions, according to the report.

Sovereign investors, a term that encompasses other entities such as public pension funds, grew their might in 2025 amid a market of strong returns for investors across fixed income, public equities, real estate and infrastructure, according to Global SWF. 

The US stands out with $13.2 trillion in assets under management by state-owned investors, followed by China with $8.2 trillion and the UAE at $2.9 trillion. 

Overall, the number one destination for state-owned investments, by some margin, was the US, attracting some $131.8 billion in 2025 compared with $68.9 billion a year earlier, the report said. Investments into China by sovereign-owned investors fell to $4.3 billion from $10.3 billion in 2024.