Abu Dhabi–based investment firm Lunate has entered into a strategic partnership with global alternative asset giant Blackstone to form a new platform - GLIDE (Gulf Logistics Infrastructure Development Enterprise) - aimed at developing and acquiring Grade A warehouse assets across the GCC.

The announcement signals Lunate's intent to play a central role in the accelerating infrastructure boom underpinning the region's logistics transformation.

The scale of ambition is significant. GLIDE is targeting $5 billion in high-quality warehouse investments across the Gulf, with a focus on greenfield development, portfolio acquisitions, and sale-and-leaseback deals with major regional firms. Blackstone, already the largest owner of logistics real estate globally with over 1.2 billion square feet under its belt, will bring logistics expertise, capital, and operational scale; Lunate brings deep regional relationships, local intelligence, and deal execution capacity.

According to Lunate, GLIDE will deploy dedicated local teams across the GCC and intends to invite additional strategic regional partners to join the effort - effectively building a pan-regional logistics champion from the ground up.

The timing comes amid a sweeping upswing in demand for modern logistics assets in the Gulf. The GCC logistics market - by some measures valued at $109 billion in 2024 and forecast to reach $171 billion by 2033, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 5.1 per cent - is underpenetrated in the Grade A warehouse segment. Other estimates for the GCC freight and logistics industry place the 2025 market at $81.3 billion, with a 2025–2030 CAGR of 6.2 per cent to reach nearly $109.9 billion.

Within that regional story, the UAE logistics sector stands out as a hotbed of opportunity. According to IMARC data, the UAE logistics market hit $54.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a 5.7 per cent CAGR to reach $95.2 billion by 2033. More bullish projections from other sources peg the 2024 value at $62.1 billion or even suggest the market could approach $106 billion by 2034 under steady expansion. In the specific domain of freight and logistics, UAE's market is estimated at $21.6 billion in 2025, climbing to $30.2 billion by 2030 at a CAGR near 6.9 per cent.

The ground-level indicators in Dubai underscore urgency. In 2024, industrial and logistics demand jumped by 225 per cent, with leasing volumes hitting a record 40.6 million square feet. Rents soared roughly 33 per cent year-on-year, while vacancy rates hovered around 3 per cent. Areas like Dubai Investments Park saw rents surge nearly 48 per cent, and Al Quoz Grade A space saw rents reach Dh 72–100 per sq ft.

Against that backdrop, GLIDE offers a way to channel institutional capital into assets that are scarce and in demand. Blackstone's Jon Gray framed the initiative as a response to sweeping pro-growth reform, demographic tailwinds, and structural diversification across the Gulf. Lunate's managing partner, Khalifa Al Suwaidi, emphasized that combining Blackstone's global logistics scale with Lunate's regional footing would unlock investor access to a market“ready for transformation.”

For Lunate, already managing more than $110 billion in assets, this move marks a strong push into real estate logistics in its home region. The firm is no stranger to infrastructure and private market strategies, with ventures like Alterra (its climate-focused vehicle) and Axight (focused on Asia-Pacific) among its siblings. The GLIDE venture signals a pivot toward highly specialized real estate play in GCC markets.

GLIDE's success will depend not just on capital but on execution - in land selection, regulatory navigation, design and building standards, and operator partnerships. The platform's model leans heavily on developing new“greenfield” logistics parks, while also selectively acquiring existing assets and facilitating sale-and-leaseback transactions with major industrial players.

For the UAE and the GCC more broadly, this is more than a fund announcement - it is a statement of conviction in the region's logistics future. With limited supply of premium warehouse stock, mounting e-commerce and trade volume, and proactive government support for infrastructure and free zones, the window is open for large-scale logistics investors to move fast.

Lunate's close ties in the Gulf, combined with Blackstone's global muscle, could accelerate the pace of institutional-grade logistics rollouts across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. If well executed, GLIDE may rewire supply chains, reshape real estate markets, and set a new standard for logistics infrastructure investment in the Gulf.

Industry veterans said the formation of GLIDE may mark the start of a new logistics era - one where capital, logistics know-how and regional insight come together to build the backbone of tomorrow's supply chains.

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