Temasek Plans Its First Middle East Offices in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, Taking Its Network to 15

On 30 September 2026, Temasek said it will open offices in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, its first in the Middle East, with both planned for the first half of 2027 and subject to regulatory approvals. The Singapore state investor will also engage institutions in Qatar. The two new hubs take Temasek from 13 offices in 9 countries to 15 offices in 11, which means the Gulf accounts for 2 of the 15 offices (13% by count) and 2 of the 11 countries (18% by count). Chief executive Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara called the expansion "a natural next step" that will help Temasek build partnerships to grow together.

Who is moving and what the offices are for

Temasek has also put people behind the plan. Chia Song Hwee was appointed Chairman, Middle East and Africa, effective 1 September 2026, and Ankit Khemka continues as Managing Director for the region. The offices are described as hubs for working with portfolio companies, building partnerships and pursuing investment opportunities across the Gulf, Central Asia and Africa. Temasek's existing offices sit in Beijing, Hanoi, Mumbai, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Singapore in Asia, and in Brussels, London, Mexico City, New York, Paris, San Francisco and Washington, DC outside it.

Temasek reported a net portfolio value of S$518 billion, roughly US$400 billion, at 31 March 2026. At that scale a regional office is less about writing a single large cheque than about being close enough to counterparties to become the first call when a deal needs a long-term partner.

How this compares with the wider Gulf push

Temasek is not arriving alone. Its affiliate Seviora, with about US$76 billion in assets, opened an Abu Dhabi office last year and has since agreed a product distribution partnership with First Abu Dhabi Bank. Bain Capital, Pantheon and Eurazeo have each opened a first Middle East office in Abu Dhabi during 2026. The sequence matters for GPs: managers have been moving into the Gulf, and now a large non-Gulf state investor is following with a local team of its own.

The move also fits what we have tracked in recent weeks. Temasek took a 9% stake in Italian growth investor FSI and will back its future funds, a sign that it is willing to attach itself to a manager rather than only buy assets. On the Gulf side, Saudi Arabia's PIF is reportedly weighing a $500 million Gulf bond mandate, another reminder that regional capital is being placed with outside managers. Both fit a pattern in which sovereign wealth funds are building local presence before they widen their manager lists.

The LP behind the move

Temasek is a Singapore-headquartered state investor and one of the best-known sovereign wealth funds in Asia. Typical cheque sizes for outside fund commitments are not public, and Temasek does not publish a list of the funds it backs, so GPs should treat any assumption about ticket size as unconfirmed. What the announcement does show is intent: a dedicated regional chairman and a managing director, with local offices to follow, is a larger commitment of staff than a visiting team would suggest.

What GPs should do now

The offices will not open until 2027, so 2026 is a mapping year rather than a pitching year. That gives managers until the first half of 2027 to prepare before a local team exists to receive them. GPs with real exposure to the Gulf, Central Asia or Africa are the ones with something specific to say, and the strongest case is an investment thesis that fits the stated brief of portfolio company co-location and regional partnerships. A manager that already has founders, operators or co-investors in Abu Dhabi or Riyadh should be able to name them and show how a Temasek presence would be additive.

Start by finding who in your network already knows the regional team. Co-investors that have worked alongside Temasek, and fund managers that share portfolio companies with it, are the likeliest introducers, which is the approach we describe in our look at how warm introductions help GPs close LPs faster. Then prepare a one-page note that shows your regional deal flow, your local partners and the specific areas where Temasek's existing portfolio overlaps. Managers with no regional footprint should not force the fit. Temasek's priority is the region, and a generic global pitch will read as a request to be added to a list rather than a reason to meet. Our directory of LPs in the Middle East shows which regional investors are active alongside Temasek this quarter.

What to watch next

Watch for the first senior hires in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, the date regulatory approvals land, and whether Temasek names Qatar-based partners. Each is a signal for when a conversation becomes practical. FundLinx members can see which sovereign investors are active in your strategy.

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