Asset allocation: The allocation of a portfolio between different asset classes, sectors, geographical regions, or types of security to meet specific objectives of risk, performance, or time horizon.

Asset-backed securities (ABS): A financial security that is ‘backed’ (or collateralised) with existing assets (such as loans, credit card debts, or leases), usually ones that generate some form of income or cash flow over time.

Bond: A debt security issued by a company or a government used as a way of raising money. The investor buying the bond is effectively lending money to the issuer of the bond. Bonds offer a return to investors in the form of fixed-periodic payments (a coupon), and the eventual return at maturity of the original amount invested—the par value. Because of their fixed-periodic interest payments, they are also often called fixed-income instruments.

Business Development Company (BDC): A listed investment vehicle that provides financing to small and mid‑sized companies.

Credit: Credit is typically defined as an agreement between a lender and a borrower. It is often narrowly used to describe corporate borrowings, which can take the form of corporate bonds, loans, or other fixed-interest asset classes.

Diversification: A way of spreading risk by mixing different types of assets or asset classes in a portfolio on the assumption that these assets will behave differently in any given scenario. Assets with low correlation should provide the most diversification.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): A regional bloc including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.

Private credit: An asset defined by non-bank lending where the debt is not issued or traded on the public markets.