ADIB Capital launches Sharia digital infrastructure fund

By Vriti Gothi

Abu Dhabi-based ADIB Capital Limited has launched the ADIB Digital Infrastructure Fund, a Sharia-compliant public fund incorporated in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), as investor appetite for exposure to digital infrastructure continues to grow.

The firm, a wholly owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) PJSC and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), said the fund will target high-conviction listed equities in companies operating across data storage and data transmission, with a geographic focus on North America and Europe.

The launch reflects increasing institutional interest in digital infrastructure assets, which have emerged as a core allocation theme amid accelerating demand for data centres, fibre networks and mobile connectivity. Structural drivers such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, eCommerce and 5G adoption have intensified capital requirements in the sector, while supply constraints in data storage and related assets have supported valuations and long-term growth expectations.

According to ADIB Capital, the fund adopts a bottom-up investment approach, analysing individual companies alongside broader economic trends. It will maintain a concentrated portfolio of approximately 20 to 25 securities, focusing on businesses trading at what it assesses to be discounts to intrinsic value, to deliver competitive risk-adjusted returns.

The fund is structured to provide Sharia-compliant access to listed digital infrastructure equities, broadening the range of Islamic investment vehicles available to regional and international investors. As demand grows for faith-based products aligned with global technology themes, asset managers in the Gulf have increasingly sought to bridge conventional infrastructure exposure with Islamic finance principles.

ADIB Capital will manage the fund in collaboration with DigitalBrid, Liquid Accounts Adviser, LLC, an affiliate of DigitalBridge Group. DigitalBridge is one of the largest dedicated digital infrastructure investment firms globally, with exposure across data centres, cell towers and fibre networks.

The fund’s Shari’a Supervisory Board has approved its structure, investment framework and documentation. ADIB Capital said this governance layer, alongside the broader ADIB Group infrastructure, is intended to provide investors with assurance regarding compliance and oversight.

The launch positions ADIB Capital within a growing segment of the asset management market that seeks to combine thematic digital infrastructure exposure with Sharia-compliant structures, at a time when global data consumption trends continue to reshape capital allocation priorities.