Global investment giant Blackstone and Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Lunate have announced a strategic partnership to invest up to US$5 billion (£3.7 billion) in warehouse and logistics assets across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
The partnership will establish Gulf Logistics Infrastructure Development Enterprise (GLIDE), a dedicated platform for the development, acquisition, and management of logistics infrastructure throughout the GCC, which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
GLIDE will primarily focus on greenfield developments, while also exploring portfolio acquisitions and sale-and-leaseback transactions. The platform aims to address a shortage of Grade A logistics facilities in the region, driven by rising e-commerce, growing manufacturing activity, and broad-based economic diversification.
“The profound economic transformation underway in the GCC, driven by pro-growth policies, favourable demographic shifts, and diversification, is creating strong momentum for sectors like logistics,” said Jon Gray, president and COO at Blackstone.
Khalifa Al Suwaidi, managing partner at Lunate, added that GLIDE will provide clients with access to high-quality logistics assets while supporting the development of new infrastructure to fuel regional growth.
The companies also indicated that additional strategic partners from the GCC are expected to join GLIDE, further strengthening the platform’s investment capacity and regional reach.
With logistics demand surging across the GCC, GLIDE’s launch signals a major push to modernize and expand the region’s warehouse and supply chain infrastructure.
