{"id":252384,"date":"2026-01-26T11:44:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T11:44:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/252384\/"},"modified":"2026-01-26T11:44:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T11:44:10","slug":"ihc-anchors-growth-in-india-and-considers-europe-despite-trumps-eu-criticisms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/252384\/","title":{"rendered":"IHC anchors growth in India and considers Europe despite Trump’s EU criticisms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Abu Dhabi’s International Holding Company<\/a> is placing India at the core of its global investment strategy while cautiously expanding its footprint in Europe<\/a>, chief executive Syed Basar Shueb has said. <\/p>\n

The chief of the UAE’s biggest company by market capitalisation offered a more optimistic assessment of European opportunities than those presented by US President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos.<\/p>\n

Mr Shueb told The National that India represents a long-term priority for the Abu Dhabi-listed conglomerate, targeting over $100 billion over a five-year investment plan which is already in place. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe are pretty significantly investing in India,\u201d Mr Shueb said on Friday at Davos. <\/p>\n

He outlined a broad portfolio of investments across energy, industrial and real estate sectors, underlining India\u2019s role as a strategic rather than opportunistic allocation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are investing in renewable solar power projects. We are investing in battery solution. We are investing in nuclear, we are investing in aluminium smelter and real estate development,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mr Shueb did not provide a target figure for future investment but confirmed that India would remain a key focus as IHC looks to invest between $16 billion and $36 billion globally over the next 18 months. <\/p>\n

The group applies a strict diversification framework, limiting exposure to any single country or business to no more than 25 per cent of total holdings.<\/p>\n

Defying the odds<\/p>\n

Alongside India, Europe is once again attracting IHC\u2019s attention, despite political and economic headwinds that have prompted caution among some global investors.<\/p>\n

At Davos last week, Mr Trump delivered a critical assessment of Europe\u2019s economic environment, warning that high regulation, energy costs and trade practices were making the region a less attractive destination for capital.<\/p>\n

This took place amid his contentious territorial dispute with Denmark that rejected proposals to cede control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory, to the US.<\/p>\n

Mr Trump described Europe as \u201cvery unfair\u201d to the US and unfit for capital growth. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Trump speaks about his thoughts on France and the Uk before heading to Davos<\/p>\n

Mr Shueb took a different view, arguing that Europe remains investable provided assets are carefully selected.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Europe is investable, and I think there is a lot of opportunities,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cOne has to look in depth that what you are buying, if it fits with your current strategy. And if it fits with your investment criteria, we should go for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

IHC completed three European transactions last year and is currently in advanced discussions on acquisitions in two further jurisdictions, Mr Shueb said. These investments are focused on large-scale infrastructure and consumer-facing businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, healthcare is also infrastructure,\u201d he said, explaining that the company applies a broad definition that extends beyond traditional assets such as transport or utilities.<\/p>\n

Consumer-oriented sectors are expected to feature more prominently in future European investments.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy top agenda in Europe will be something to do in the consumer sector,\u201d Mr Shueb said, citing healthcare services, clothing brands and packaging businesses.<\/p>\n

The group\u2019s approach reflects a preference for acquisition-led growth rather than public listings. Despite frequent speculation around potential initial public offerings, Mr Shueb said IPOs are not currently a priority.<\/p>\n

Liquidity criticism <\/p>\n

When asked about IHC’s dominance in the Abu Dhabi market \u2212 at 40 per cent of total market capitalisation \u2212 he said criticism was inevitable and that improving liquidity should focus on broadening the market rather than limiting large players. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you are in a market, you have to be ready for the criticism,\u201d he said. \u201cI want them to bring more and more companies and put it in the stock market so we become smaller in size compared to the 40 per cent 1769427850.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Shueb said that IHC is looking to diversify its operations in Abu Dhabi by building new businesses.<\/p>\n

In October, IHC sold its 42.54 per cent stake in Abu Dhabi property developer Modon Holding to L\u2019imad Holding<\/a> for an undisclosed sum, in line with its policy of limiting exposure to any single sector to no more than 20 per cent.<\/p>\n

In an interview the following month, Mr Shueb told The National<\/a> that the firm will be doing divestment and reinvestment every 18 months to achieve its targets. <\/p>\n

That approached is increasingly evident in IHC’s international deal making. <\/p>\n

\u201cIPOs are not on top of the agenda these days,\u201d he said, adding that IHC plans to bring in new businesses by acquiring established platforms and entering markets through partnerships.<\/p>\n

Banks, he noted, continue to play a key role in identifying suitable partners and accelerating market entry. \u201cIf they are bankable, then they are investable as well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, IHC joined up with the US International Development Finance Corporation<\/a> to co-invest in key sectors, in what the latter says is a \u201ccrucial step\u201d in Mr Trump’s foreign policy.<\/p>\n

Beyond India and Europe, IHC continues to assess opportunities across multiple geographies, including emerging markets. <\/p>\n

Mr Shueb said the group would not hesitate to move quickly if assets meet its financial and ethical criteria.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce we see an opportunity, it fits our criteria, it is ethical, we will be in,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Abu Dhabi’s International Holding Company is placing India at the core of its global investment strategy while cautiously…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":252385,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[7893,138,11721,138198,219,2024,2344,329,111,139,69,1177,427],"class_list":{"0":"post-252384","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-economy","8":"tag-abu-dhabi","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-business-team","11":"tag-davos","12":"tag-economy","13":"tag-europe","14":"tag-india","15":"tag-investing","16":"tag-new-zealand","17":"tag-newzealand","18":"tag-nz","19":"tag-standard","20":"tag-story"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=252384"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252384\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/252385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=252384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=252384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=252384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}