ADIA has a disciplined investment process that aims to generate stable returns more than the long term within established risk parameters.
The Strategy Unit plays a central role in the investment process, with responsibility for developing, maintaining and periodically reviewing ADIA’s policy portfolio mix of over two dozen asset classes and sub-categories. It also identifies medium-term tactical opportunities for generating returns in excess of those achieved by the long-term policy portfolio while maintaining ADIA’s target risk profile.
In accordance with ADIA’s prudent governance structure, the Strategy Unit’s recommendations are evaluated by the Strategy Committee, before being submitted to the Investment Committee and ultimately the Managing Director. Once approved, funds are allocated to the respective investment departments, which are responsible for implementation in line with their mandates, benchmarks, and guidelines.
In order to achieve its long-term objectives, ADIA must be able to execute on its desired asset allocation in a timely fashion, in size, while minimising transaction costs. It is for this reason that slightly over half of ADIA’s portfolio consists of index-replicating, or passive, strategies within quoted markets. This is offset by skilfully designed, actively managed investments across asset classes, in areas with genuine potential to generate market outperformance, or alpha, can be achieved over the long term.
We recognise that a structured yet flexible approach is needed to ensure opportunities and trends can be captured as they arise. As a result, ADIA has expanded its in-house capabilities in a number of asset classes and support functions in recent years. On a macro level, this has enhanced the organisation’s ability to take a globally strategic view of opportunities, both across and within asset classes. It has also enabled ADIA to become increasingly tactical and opportunistic where potential opportunities and trends arise.
By making continuous enhancements, ADIA has built an investment strategy that is not simply based on asset class or geographic allocations, but one that is both robust and increasingly focused on return drivers. This allows for a sophisticated approach that can be more granular in nature and provides us with the ability to focus on sector-based or thematic investments with attractive risk and return characteristics.