“The increase in the aggregate assets under management of sovereign wealth funds, which has been assisted by the start of the global recovery, demonstrates that their collective influence in the world of institutional investors has not diminished. Many SWFs that had put portfolio diversification plans on hold are now considering resuming these plans, and their appetite for alternative investments continues to increase,” said Sam Meakin, managing editor of the 2010 Preqin Sovereign Wealth Fund Review, which reported the increase.

Asia and the Middle East and north Africa region account for 57% of all SWFs, and funds based in the two regions make up three-quarters of the aggregate value of all SWFs worldwide, according to Preqin.