Summary
The UAE is a dynamic market due to government attempts to diversify the economy, but it remains highly reliant on the oil and gas industry. The expat population constitutes a very large part of the affluent and HNW segments, which in addition to the relatively underdeveloped local stock markets explains why a large proportion of wealth is held offshore. Nevertheless, the future growth of onshore assets will remain positive.

Key Findings
- Despite the small number of affluent individuals, this segment controls almost 80% of total liquid assets. At the end of 2015 HNW individuals held almost 30% of the country's onshore liquid wealth.

- The ultra-high net worth segment is forecast to record the highest liquid asset growth during 2016-20.

- HNW investors in the UAE hold the majority of their assets offshore. Ties to their country of origin are the main driver for offshore investments, as almost three quarters of the UAE's HNW population is made up by expats.

- UAE millionaires hold over a third of their investments in non-traditional products, with real estate investment trusts (REITs) accounting for the bulk. As the UAE's stock markets are quite underdeveloped and Muslim investors account for a large part of the UAE population, REITs are a convenient investment option, as Sharia-compliant REITs are available.

- Oil prices are still the major driver of growth, but the government has attempted to diversify the economy in order to protect the UAE's stock markets from the volatility of the oil and gas industry.


Synopsis
Verdict Financial's “Wealth in the UAE: Sizing the Market Opportunity 2016” analyzes the UAE wealth and retail savings and investments markets, with a focus on the HNW segment. The report is based on our proprietary datasets.

Specifically the report:

- Sizes the affluent market (both by number of individuals and the value of their liquid assets) using our proprietary datasets.

- Analyzes which asset classes are favored by the UAE's investors and how their preferences impact the growth of the total savings and investments market.

- Examines HNW clients' attitudes towards non-liquid investments such as property and commodities.

- Identifies key drivers and booking centers for offshore investments.


Reasons To Buy
- Benchmark your share of the UAE wealth market against the current market size.

- Forecast your future growth prospects using our projections for the market to 2020.

- Identify your most promising client segment by analyzing penetration of affluent individuals in the UAE.

- Evaluate your HNW proposition by understanding how the UAE tax system will impact HNW clients.

- Review your offshore strategy by learning HNW motivations for offshore investments and their preferred booking centers.