Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager, and Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Lunate, managing over US$110 billion in assets, have announced a strategic partnership to invest in logistics assets across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
Through this collaboration, Blackstone—currently the largest global owner of logistics properties, with more than 1.2 billion square feet—and Lunate, with its extensive regional network and investment expertise, will launch Gulf Logistics Infrastructure Development Enterprise (GLIDE). The platform will focus on the development, acquisition, and management of Grade A logistics assets across the GCC.
Additional strategic partners from the region are expected to join GLIDE, which will operate with dedicated teams across the GCC to support its growth.
The GCC logistics sector is experiencing rapid expansion, fueled by economic growth, rising e-commerce, and manufacturing activity. Yet, there remains a notable shortage of Grade A logistics facilities that meet modern specifications, deliver operational efficiency, and adhere to international standards, creating attractive investment opportunities.
GLIDE aims to target $5 billion in premium warehouse assets, focusing on greenfield developments while also pursuing selective portfolio acquisitions and sale-and-leaseback agreements with leading regional companies.
“The profound economic transformation underway in the GCC, driven by pro-growth policies, favourable demographic shifts and broad-based economic diversification, is creating powerful momentum for sectors like logistics. We are thrilled to partner with Lunate to combine our investment expertise and deep logistics experience with their strong GCC presence and capabilities to build GLIDE, a pan-regional logistics platform at scale,” Jon Gray, President and Chief Operating Officer at Blackstone, said.
Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Managing Partner at Lunate, said, “GLIDE will offer our clients and investors access to compelling investments in high-quality logistics assets and support the development of new infrastructure to drive growth across the GCC. This partnership combines global scale with regional expertise to unlock a market ready for transformation.”
(Inputs from WAM)
