Analysts Cheer Daimler's Abu Dhabi Deal

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Aabar plans to get more involved than Kuwait in Daimler's business and wants a say in its corporate strategy, mainly in the development of electric cars and innovative compound materials. Concrete projects are currently being discussed. Zetsche said Daimler would support an academy for the auto economy in Abu Dhabi.

But Bratzel said it was doubtful whether a stake of less than 10 percent would suffice for a significant say in Daimler's management. Nevertheless, the acquisition sent out a good signal. "The new investors, like Kuwait, are interested in a long-term stake," he said.

Hedge Fund Takeover Now Less Likely

The purchase had averted the danger of a hedge fund with short-term profit goals buying into Daimler, said Bratzel. That was a very real danger given that Daimler's current stock market valuation of just over €20 billion is relatively low, which made the company an attractive takeover target. After all, a majority stake would cost just slightly more than €10 billion, said Bratzel.

There's little prospect of Daimler's stock rising significantly anytime soon, said Marc-René Tonn, an analyst at Warburg-Bank in Hamburg. "If one assumes that the automakers of the future will return to the kind of profitability they had before the crisis, then Daimler is very cheaply valued," he said.

But he added that it was unlikely that the market would return to its old levels, especially in the company car business, which is Daimler's strength.

"In the current situation the new investor gives Daimler far more financial flexibility," said Tonn, adding that it was hard for automakers to get capital these days.

Aabar started out as an energy fund, and its staff still answer the phone saying "Aabar Petroleum." But the company has gradually shifted its focus to financial services. In early March, Aabar acquired around €50 million worth of bonds issued by European bank Unicredito.

Aabar is controlled by the state fund IPIC (International Petroleum Investment Company), which made headlines last year when it bought German plant construction firm Ferrostaal from engineering group MAN.

MAN celebrated the purchase as a major success, but the new owners were no less pleased—analysts say the $500 million price tag for the German engineering company was pretty low.

Al Qubaisi said Germany had no reason to fear that key technological knowhow would be seized as part of the deal. "We don't plan that at all. On the contrary: We need German technology to make us sustainable for the future," he said.

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