Dubai International Capital on Thursday appointed the former heads of Sony, BMW and the boss of GlaxoSmithKline to the advisory board of its global strategic equities fund, which buys stakes in big listed companies.

The calibre of the appointments underlines the far-reaching ambitions of the Gulf investment fund, which is owned by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The move also reflects DIC’s desire to gain legitimacy in global markets.