Collaboration expands beyond private markets to make institutional-grade public funds accessible to a broader retail and wealth investor base
• Platform introduces two new income-focused solutions: the FundStar Emirates CLO AA Fund and the Emirates Systematic Income and Growth Fund
• Milestone demonstrates strong regional demand for global expertise, following a successful initial year that attracted USD 350 million in AUM
Dubai, UAE, October 2026: Emirates NBD Asset Management, the asset management division of Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the Middle East, North Africa, Türkiye and South Asia (MENATSA) region and BlackRock have launched two new income-focused funds, the FundStar Emirates CLO AA Fund and the Emirates Systematic Income and Growth Fund, to mark the one-year anniversary of their strategic collaboration.
Building on the initial platform launched in 2025 to provide wealth clients with access to alternative investments, the partnership is now expanding its reach transitioning from private asset offerings originally reserved for professional clients to public fund structures accessible to a broader retail investor base across the region. Over the past year, the collaboration has delivered strong performance and significant momentum, attracting USD 350 million in Assets Under Management (AUM).
The two new funds are structured to address growing investor demand for regular income, capital preservation and global portfolio diversification in a modern, dynamic market environment through professionally managed solutions supported by BlackRock’s global investment expertise.
The FundStar Emirates CLO AA Fund, sub-managed by BlackRock, offers floating-rate income by investing in a high-quality, investment-grade Collateralised Loan Obligation (CLO) portfolio consisting of senior secured corporate loans across the US and Europe. The fund targets an average portfolio credit rating of AA with zero sub-investment-grade exposure, daily liquidity and no leverage to artificially boost returns.
The Emirates Systematic Income and Growth Fund follows a flexible, benchmark-unconstrained approach designed to generate dynamic alpha and high yield by allocating across globally diversified income-producing assets. BlackRock has been appointed as investment advisor, providing access to its systematic investment insights and vehicles, while Emirates NBD Asset Management remains responsible for ongoing portfolio management. The fund targets a 7% distribution net of fees, paid quarterly to investors.
Michail Samawi, Senior Executive Officer, Emirates NBD Asset Management, commented: “One year ago, we partnered with BlackRock to redefine how wealth investors in the Middle East access institutional-grade strategies. The success of this initiative in the first 12 months reflects the immense appetite in our region for sophisticated, yield-generating solutions. With the launch of these two new offerings, we are fulfilling our commitment to democratise premium global investments by delivering innovative wealth solutions that empower our clients to build resilient, income-generating portfolios aligned with their long-term financial goals.”
Keith Saldanha, Head of Wealth and Global Product Solutions for the Middle East & Africa at BlackRock, added: “One year into our partnership with Emirates NBD, we are proud of how quickly our collaboration has evolved and expanded. The launch of these two new funds is another important milestone, combining Emirates NBD’s local expertise and client reach with BlackRock’s global investment capabilities. We see significant opportunity for both CLO and systematic strategies within wealth portfolios, and we are excited to continue building innovative solutions together to give investors in the region access to an even broader range of investment opportunities.”
The launch reinforces Emirates NBD Asset Management’s strategic vision of leading the regional wealth landscape by offering tailored investment solutions backed by world-class global expertise. The FundStar Emirates CLO AA Fund draws upon BlackRock’s track record of over 24 years in the CLO space, where it currently manages more than USD 40 billion across global CLO strategies.
Both funds are now available to Emirates NBD wealth and retail clients, providing flexible avenues to construct income-generating, resilient portfolios.
About Emirates NBD:
Emirates NBD (DFM: Emirates NBD) is a leading banking group in the MENATSA (Middle East, North Africa, Türkiye and South Asia) region with a presence in 13 countries, serving over 25 million active customers. As at 30th June 2026, total assets were AED 1.3 trillion, (equivalent to approx. USD 354 billion). The Group has operations in the UAE, Egypt, India, Türkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, Russia and Bahrain and representative offices in China and Indonesia with a total of 1,425 branches and 4,948 ATMs / SDMs. Emirates NBD is the leading financial services brand in the UAE with a Brand value of USD 6.1 billion.
Emirates NBD Group serves its customers (individuals, businesses, governments, and institutions) and helps them realise their financial objectives through a range of banking products and services including retail banking, corporate and institutional banking, Islamic banking, investment banking, private banking, asset management, global markets and treasury, and brokerage operations. The Group is a key participant in the global digital banking industry with 97% of all financial transactions and requests conducted outside of its branches. The Group also operates Liv, the lifestyle digital bank by Emirates NBD, with close to half a million users, it continues to be the fastest-growing bank in the region.
Emirates NBD demonstrates leadership in sustainability by becoming the first bank globally to publish an IFRS S1 and S2-aligned report along with assurance of financed emissions and through the landmark issuance of the world’s first Sustainability-Linked Financing Sukuk by Emirates Islamic of USD 500 million fully aligned with ICMA guidelines. Emirates NBD continues to engage and support communities through its pioneering exchanger volunteer programme which completed 10 years in 2025 with over 160,000 hours contributed to social causes for over 1.1 million beneficiaries.
