Luckin Coffee is considering a return to Persian Gulf markets after securing $1 billion in joint investment from Abu Dhabi's Mubadala and its controlling shareholder, Centurium Capital. Chairman David Li confirmed the expansion talks during an interview with CNBC on Monday. "There are other markets we are currently looking at [and] potentially entering into regions like Gulf countries," Li said.

The funding round closed in early September, though neither Mubadala nor Centurium disclosed their individual stake sizes. Mubadala, a $385 billion sovereign wealth fund, has deployed more than $20 billion across China, including investments in e-commerce company Shein and Dalian Wanda's shopping mall portfolio.

The new capital supports Luckin's recovery from a 2019 accounting scandal that led to a U.S. bankruptcy filing and Nasdaq delisting. CEO Jinyi Guo stated the company is "actively pushing the process of relisting on a U.S. mainboard," though Chinese regulatory approval remains pending with no set timeline.

Executives point to steady demand and shifting consumer habits as the primary catalyst for the Gulf push. Guo noted that customers in the region favor stable coffee access and are increasingly choosing low-sugar, health-focused beverages.

Luckin now values the company at roughly $9.6 billion on over-the-counter markets. The chain reported second-quarter revenue of 15.9 billion yuan, or $2.34 billion, a 28.5% increase. This growth coincided with 2,714 new store openings. Average monthly active users reached 112.7 million, up 23%.

Despite surpassing Starbucks as China's largest coffee chain by sales, Luckin's international presence remains small. The company operates 100 locations in Singapore, 150 in Malaysia, and 23 in New York City, compared to more than 36,000 outlets across mainland China and Hong Kong. Temasek disclosed a 6.4% stake in May, citing confidence in the leadership's growth strategy.