Emirates NBD Asset Management and BlackRock have launched two income funds to mark one year of their partnership.

The partnership began in 2025 with private market products for professional clients.

It now covers public funds open to retail investors in the region. In its first year, it drew USD 350 million in assets under management.

The first product is the FundStar Emirates CLO AA Fund, which BlackRock sub-manages.

It pays income at a floating rate by investing in collateralised loan obligations (CLOs), which are backed by senior secured loans to firms in the US and Europe.

According to the companies, the fund aims for an average AA credit rating and holds nothing rated below investment grade.

Investors can access their money daily, and the fund uses no leverage. BlackRock has over 24 years of CLO experience and manages more than USD 40 billion in CLO strategies.

The second product is the Emirates Systematic Income and Growth Fund.

Rather than tracking a benchmark, it invests in income-paying assets around the world. It targets a 7% payout after fees, paid quarterly.

For this fund, BlackRock acts as investment adviser, while Emirates NBD Asset Management runs the portfolio.

Both funds are now open to Emirates NBD’s wealth and retail clients.

Michail Samawi, Senior Executive Officer at Emirates NBD Asset Management, said the two new funds are intended to widen access to global investments and help clients build income-generating portfolios that match their long-term financial goals.

Keith Saldanha, Head of Wealth and Global Product Solutions for the Middle East and Africa at BlackRock, said he sees room for both CLO and systematic strategies in wealth portfolios, and that the two firms plan to keep developing products that give investors in the region a wider range of options.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News UAE, based on image by mrsiraphol via Magnific.