Global asset manager Capital Group is set to open its first Middle East office in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), marking a strategic expansion into a region that is rapidly emerging as a hub for global capital and asset management distribution.
The firm, which oversees approximately $3.3 trillion in assets under management, said the Abu Dhabi presence, subject to regulatory approval, will include investment, operational, and client-facing capabilities.
While Capital Group has historically been associated with its actively managed mutual funds, it has built a meaningful presence in exchange-traded funds since entering the market in 2022. Its ETF platform focuses on actively managed equity strategies, many of which have seen strong asset growth. Capital Group has been a big participant in the global growth of actively managed ETFs.
Among the most prominent is the Capital Group Dividend Value ETF, an income-focused strategy that has attracted significant inflows and grown to over $29 billion in AUM (As of 2026-03-31, source: Morningstar/JPMorgan). The Capital Group Growth ETF provides exposure to high-quality global growth companies, while the Capital Group Core Equity ETF offers a broad U.S. equity allocation with an active management overlay.
Internationally, the firm has expanded its reach through products such as the Capital Group International Equity ETF and the Capital Group Global Growth Equity ETF, reflecting a broader push to replicate its long-standing active management approach within the ETF wrapper across geographies.
This expansion into Abu Dhabi comes as active ETFs continue to gain traction globally, particularly in core equity, income, and multi-asset strategies areas where Capital Group has decades of experience. The firm’s regional presence could support distribution of these strategies as GCC ETF ecosystems deepen, including through local listings and cross-border access.
For ADGM, the addition of a firm of Capital Group’s scale reinforces its positioning as a destination for international asset managers. For the broader industry, it highlights a structural shift: global firms are increasingly treating the Middle East not just as a source of capital, but as a core market for growth and distribution.
As ETF adoption accelerates across the GCC, Capital Group’s expansion may also facilitate greater access to actively managed ETF strategies, adding further depth to the region’s evolving investment landscape.
