BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 10. The Eurasian
Development Bank (EDB) is setting up a new investment platform
aimed at attracting capital from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
countries to projects across Central Asia, Trend reports via EDB.
As part of this effort, the bank has opened a representative
office in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the UAE capital’s
international financial centre. The opening ceremony was attended
by ADGM Authority CEO Salem Al Darei and EDB Chairman Nikolai
Podguzov. According to the bank, the Abu Dhabi office will allow it
to work more directly with regulators, sovereign wealth funds and
other institutional investors in the Gulf.
A specialized infrastructure credit fund will form a central
part of the new platform. Registered under ADGM jurisdiction, the
fund will focus on debt financing of EDB-backed infrastructure
projects in Central Asia and is intended to provide Middle Eastern
and international investors with a structured, regulated means to
invest in the region.
The bank’s move follows a year of increasing engagement with
Gulf markets. In 2025, the EDB placed two dirham-denominated bond
issues: a $50 million equivalent offering on the Astana
International Exchange in April, and a $54 million equivalent
placement in the UAE in June with the participation of First Abu
Dhabi Bank and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.
To note, a joint forecast by the EDB, the Islamic Development
Bank and the London Stock Exchange projects Islamic banking assets
in the region to reach $6.3 billion by 2033, with sukuk issuance
expected to grow to $5.6 billion.
