Barings has expanded its regional footprint with the opening of a new office in Abu Dhabi. The office, located within Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), comes less than two years after Barings established its Dubai base in 2024.
The move signals the firm’s growing focus on the region’s sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and family offices, which continue to channel capital into global credit, private markets, and real estate.
The new office will anchor Barings’ operations within ADGM, giving the firm closer access to major regional allocators and a regulatory environment designed to attract global asset managers.
Mike Freno, Chairman and CEO of Barings, said the expansion reflects the firm’s confidence in the Gulf’s long-term economic trajectory. ‘Being on the ground enables us to better serve our clients and partner with them to unlock opportunities across global credit markets,’ he said.
Barings currently has one member of the team based in Abu Dhabi and expects the office to grow over time in line with business needs, the firm told Citywire Middle East.
The firm is a $481bn global alternative asset manager that partners with institutional, insurance, and wealth clients, and supports leading businesses with flexible financing solutions.
Barings, a subsidiary of MassMutual, continues to see strong demand from Middle Eastern investors for public and private credit strategies, as well as real estate, as global yield opportunities evolve.
