The Abu Dhabi royal family has built a bitcoin reserve exceeding $700 million, generated through direct state-controlled mining operations rather than market purchases or seizures.
According to a recent report by Arkham Intelligence, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) currently holds 6,333 BTC, highlighting a strategic shift in how the oil-rich nation manages wealth.
Royal mining operation controls bitcoin production
Arkham Intelligence identified wallets labeled as belonging to the UAE government, noting that unlike the US and UK, whose bitcoin reserves mainly come from law enforcement asset seizures, the UAE’s holdings derive from mining operations with Citadel Mining.
The report stated:
The UAE’s $700M BTC holdings are now labeled on Arkham. Unlike the US and UK, the UAE’s holdings do not come from police asset seizures but from mining operations with Citadel Mining.
Citadel Mining operates an 80,000-square-meter facility on Al Reem Island.
Its complex ownership structure—majority-owned by 2pointzero, which is fully owned by International Holding Company (IHC), itself controlled by the Abu Dhabi royal family—cements state control over the nation’s bitcoin production.
On-chain data and satellite imagery confirm the UAE’s direct involvement in mining.
Turning oil wealth into digital assets
This approach demonstrates a deliberate policy of converting “oil money” into “digital money” by mining and holding bitcoin.
Unlike most governments with static reserves, the UAE has established a growing mechanism, allowing it to expand its bitcoin holdings continually.
