Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Blue Owl Capital have
joined forces to establish a digital infrastructure platform focusing on data
centers, launching with over $3 billion in initial assets to meet rising global
demand for cloud and AI services. This partnership combines QIA’s long-term
capital and infrastructure expertise with Blue Owl’s unique permanent capital
approach to expand digital infrastructure investments worldwide.
Strategic Partnership for Digital Infrastructure Growth
As reported by QIA and Blue Owl Capital’s joint statement on
September 25, 2025, the two firms have entered into a strategic partnership
agreement to create a digital infrastructure platform aimed at accelerating
global compute capacity for leading hyperscalers amid surging demand for cloud
computing and artificial intelligence transformation. The platform will launch
with more than $3 billion of initial data center assets and is expected to grow
over time. The initiative reflects the rapidly expanding need for data storage
and computational resources worldwide.
Mohammed Saif Al-Sowaidi, CEO of QIA, said,
“We are pleased to partner with Blue Owl in this transformational digital infrastructure platform. This partnership aligns with QIA's strategy to engage with leading global firms that are addressing the world's growing demand for data centers. QIA and Blue Owl are committed to scaling digital infrastructure that will meet the growing demand for data storage and computation requirements globally, with a particular focus on increasing data connectivity”
(PR Newswire).
Combining Long-Term Capital with Permanent Capital Strategy
The partnership leverages complementary strengths: QIA
contributes long-term sovereign capital, a global investment perspective, and
deep experience in infrastructure and technology sectors, while Blue Owl brings
its expertise in permanent capital strategy, which is particularly suitable for
capital-intensive data center investments requiring long-term funding horizons.
Doug Ostrover and Marc Lipschultz, Co-CEOs of Blue Owl, stated,
“We are honored to partner with Qatar Investment Authority in advancing the global data center ecosystem. QIA's commitment to innovation aligns seamlessly with our strategy to provide financing solutions to large-scale, resilient, digital infrastructure portfolios. Together, we aim to meet the surging demand for data connectivity and power the next generation of digital transformation”
(PR Newswire).
Blue Owl’s Growing Digital Infrastructure Footprint
Blue Owl’s Digital Infrastructure strategy, part of its Real
Assets platform, focuses exclusively on investing in mission-critical assets
that support cloud and AI innovation. As of June 30, 2025, prior to this
partnership, Blue Owl had raised $39 billion of capital, investing in 104 data
center facilities across 28 global markets. The new partnership with QIA is
expected to further solidify Blue Owl's position in this rapidly expanding
sector (StockTitan, PR Newswire).
Details on Investment and Market Outlook
According to sources familiar with the matter who requested
anonymity, QIA is contributing approximately $1 billion in new equity to the
venture. This initial capital will serve as the seed for a permanent capital
vehicle crafted to expand data center opportunities globally. The partnership
anticipates significant growth in the platform’s assets, in line with
escalating demand for computing power and data storage driven by AI development
and cloud services growth (Investing.com, Bloomberg).
Marc Lipschultz highlighted the opportunity, revealing that
Blue Owl's data center pipeline is currently estimated in the hundreds of
billions of dollars, indicating vast potential for expansion in the
infrastructure space (Investing.com).
Qatar Investment Authority’s Global Investment Role
Qatar Investment Authority, founded in 2005, is a sovereign
wealth fund managing the state’s reserve funds and one of the largest and most
active globally. It invests across diverse asset classes and regions in
partnership with leading institutions worldwide to build a broad, diversified
portfolio. QIA has been steadily increasing its investments in the technology
and infrastructure sectors, with this partnership marking a significant step in
its digital infrastructure ambitions (PR Newswire).
Blue Owl: Redefining Alternative Asset Management
Blue Owl Capital, listed on the New York Stock Exchange
under the ticker OWL, is a prominent asset manager specializing in
alternatives. Its Real Assets platform, which includes the Digital Infrastructure
strategy, aims to deploy permanent capital into resilient infrastructure that
supports the next generation of digital transformation—particularly data
centers critical for AI and cloud computing (PR Newswire).
This partnership between QIA and Blue Owl Capital marks a
major development in the digital infrastructure investment landscape, combining
sovereign wealth capital with innovative asset management strategies to meet
the soaring global demand for data center capacity fueling artificial intelligence
and cloud computing growth. It exemplifies how institutional investors are
adapting to technology-driven market trends by creating dedicated platforms
that invest in mission-critical infrastructure assets.
The platform’s launch with $3 billion in initial data center assets and plans for expansion highlights the accelerating pace at which cloud and AI infrastructure is becoming a strategic focus for global capital deployment, indicating robust growth prospects for the sector in coming years.