Abu Dhabi-based investment manager Lunate and global investment firm Blackstone have announced a strategic partnership to launch a new logistics platform in the Gulf region, with a target investment of US$5 billion.
The joint venture, named GLIDE (Gulf Logistics Infrastructure Development Enterprise), will focus on developing, acquiring, and managing high-quality logistics and warehouse assets across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.
Strategy and Scope
GLIDE is expected to pursue a mix of investment strategies:
Greenfield development of new warehouse and distribution facilities.
Selective acquisitions of existing logistics portfolios.
Sale-and-leaseback deals with established regional companies, enabling operators to monetize their real estate while continuing to operate under lease.
Blackstone will bring its global logistics real estate experience and capital, while Lunate contributes regional insight, relationships, and local execution capacity.
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The two firms stated that GLIDE’s operations will be supported by dedicated regional teams to oversee development, asset management and deal sourcing.
Blackstone chairman Jon Gray highlighted that GCC economies are undergoing structural transformation, with favorable demographics, pro-growth policies, and economic diversification efforts creating momentum in sectors such as logistics.
Lunate managing partner Khalifa Al Suwaidi described the partnership as a way to “combine global scale with regional expertise to unlock a market ready for transformation.”
Broader Context and Implications
This move marks another step in Blackstone’s growing push into the Middle East real assets space. The firm already owns extensive logistics real estate globally and has been increasing its presence in the GCC.
Meanwhile, for Lunate, which has already made waves in the region through infrastructure and alternative investments, the deal furthers its ambition to build out a large, diversified real asset platform.
The partnership also signals increased appetite among global investors for industrial and logistics assets in the Gulf, amid rising e-commerce adoption, shifts in supply chains that favour just-in-time delivery, and governments’ push to diversify non-oil sectors.
That said, challenges remain. Land availability, permitting and regulatory frameworks, local partnerships, and execution risk in new markets will be key variables. Moreover, achieving scale across different GCC jurisdictions with varying legal regimes will test GLIDE's operating model.
Still, the formation of GLIDE underscores how logistics is seen as a frontier of growth in the Gulf - one which combines infrastructure, real estate, trade, and technology. With US$5 billion behind it, the venture is likely to become a marquee vehicle in the region’s logistics expansion story.
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