The United Arab Emirates (UAE) experienced a 12.7 percent increase in net wealth between 2024 and 2025, rising from $3.2 trillion to $3.6 trillion, according to a recent report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The growth underscores the resilience of the UAE’s wealth market despite global volatility and geopolitical uncertainties in the Middle East.
Financial wealth, which includes both investable and non-investable assets, increased by 12.3 percent to $1.4 trillion in 2025 and is projected to reach $2.1 trillion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7 percent. Real estate and other real assets rose from $2.2 trillion to $2.4 trillion and are expected to hit $4.2 trillion by 2030, a CAGR of 11.5 percent. Meanwhile, liabilities grew modestly from $210 billion to $220 billion last year and are forecast to reach $340 billion by 2030 at an 8.9 percent CAGR.
In terms of cross-border financial wealth, residents holding assets outside the UAE saw a 9.4 percent rise to $468.4 billion in 2025. This figure is expected to climb to $678.2 billion by 2030. Conversely, cross-border wealth booked within the UAE by international clients increased by 11.1 percent, reaching $721 billion this year.
The composition of financial assets reflects ongoing diversification trends. Currency and deposits reached $471.8 billion, with forecasts suggesting growth to $778.9 billion by 2030 at a 10.5 percent CAGR. Equity wealth stood at $419.4 billion and is anticipated to grow to $591.9 billion, while bond investments and life insurance/pension wealth reached $15.9 billion and $26.6 billion respectively, both expected to roughly double by 2030.
The report highlighted the impact of recent regional conflicts, noting that geopolitical tensions and fluctuations in oil prices have introduced short-term volatility in Middle Eastern markets. Despite this, experts emphasized the structural strength of the UAE’s wealth sector, predicting slightly slower growth over the next couple of years followed by a rebound later in the decade. This positive outlook is attributed to factors such as sovereign wealth fund strength, economic diversification efforts, family business liquidity events, and ongoing private capital activities.
The distribution of wealth among high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) in the UAE remains concentrated, though changes are anticipated by 2030. The number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals (those with assets exceeding $100 million) is projected to grow from about 500 in 2025 to approximately 800. The upper HNWI segment ($20 million to $100 million) is also expected to increase from 2,700 to 4,200 people, while the lower HNWI group ($1 million to $20 million) may expand to 200,000 individuals.
Growth is also expected in affluent individuals with wealth between $250,000 and $1 million, projected to rise from 500,000 to 600,000 people, although their share of total financial wealth is predicted to slightly decrease. The largest population segment, those with less than $250,000 in financial assets, is anticipated to grow from 8.6 million to 9 million but will see a decline in their overall wealth share.
Experts suggest that while client demand for wealth management services is increasing, capacity constraints among advisors remain a key challenge. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) is seen as a critical factor in scaling advisory capabilities without sacrificing quality, with firms adapting AI-driven workflows poised to better serve expanding client bases in the UAE’s rapidly evolving financial ecosystem.