Her bet on Abu Dhabi began with an unconventional tip: Who is the first individual donor to the Louvre?

- For Chinese entrepreneur and investor Snow Li, collecting artwork and building businesses follows a similar philosophy: curiosity, patience, and the ability to see potential before others see it. We visit her home in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi to explore the long-term thinking behind her investment bets.

Lee is part of a growing drive to bring Chinese industrial expertise and investment to the UAE, and sees an opportunity for her business in Abu Dhabi specifically. Lee is Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors MPT Group, the company behind the largest valve manufacturing facility in the MENA region.

These valves are essential equipment used by the region's oil and gas industry. Her interests range from advanced manufacturing and energy to strategic resources and technology.

But for someone who used to make big investment decisions, her bet on Abu Dhabi began with unconventional advice. The person reading her fortune advised her to“discover a new city, Abu Dhabi.”

In her Abu Dhabi home, a different type of investment can be seen, Lee has been collecting art for more than two decades, with an increasing focus on supporting artists for the long term. In 2024, some works from her collection to Louvre Abu Dhabi, becoming the museum's first individual donor, further strengthening her ties to the country she has come to call home.

“ This is my way of contributing to the city,” she told me. I think that's a role model for everyone who loves the city and wants to contribute to it. ”