The UAE Wealth Boom Explained

Countries are increasingly competing for internationally mobile wealth, and the UAE has emerged as a leading international wealth hub with an estimated inflow of around 9,800 millionaires in 2025.

In fact, according to the Private Wealth Migration Report 2026 recently published by Henley & Partners, a strategic partner of Hoxton Wealth, the UAE has strengthened its position as the leading destination for millionaire migration this year, beating long-established wealth hubs such as Singapore and Switzerland.

The report scores jurisdictions on their structural attractiveness to internationally mobile wealth, looking at a range of measures that include tax treatment, investor access, family inclusion, safety, connectivity, international business integration, and long-term residence pathways. The UAE scores highest using this framework with 85.3 out of 100 overall. For comparison, Singapore’s overall score is 79.5 and Switzerland’s 70.8.

The UAE's attractiveness has been tested directly this year by geopolitical uncertainty caused by the Iran conflict. The initial retaliatory missile and drone strikes by Iran against several regional countries, including the UAE, caused significant disruption in the country including to the region’s hub airports with thousands of flights cancelled and many foreign nationals evacuated, including residents, holidaymakers and travellers in transit. 

Although the situation remains volatile, recent events have not changed the UAE's underlying appeal - the factors that made it attractive before February 2026 are largely still true today. No jurisdiction is perfect, but the UAE continues to stand out because of its balance between stability, business infrastructure and clarity of framework. 

While wealth planning should be based on structured decision-making, rather than reacting to headlines, recent events have prompted many residents to think more carefully about contingency planning, and this is a sensible response.

Increasingly, wealthy individuals and families are treating geopolitical resilience as an explicit planning objective. This is particularly relevant to the UAE at present, but this year we have witnessed just how quickly geopolitics can shift, so it's worth treating as standard practice rather than a reaction to any one region.

 The following points are worth considering: 

Resilience Through Diversification

However favourable a single jurisdiction looks today, concentrating residence, assets and succession planning entirely within it carries structural risk. The strength of the a country’s current position doesn't remove the case for diversification - if anything, it's the ideal moment to build it in, while there's no pressure to do so reactively.

Review Contingency Options Before They're Needed

This might mean holding a second residency or citizenship option, keeping some assets structured to be accessible from outside the region or simply ensuring that family members understand what the plan would be if circumstances changed quickly.

Regularly Revisit Family Office And Foundation Structures

The growth of the UAE's family office sector in recent years has been rapid, and the frameworks available continue to evolve. A structure that made sense a year or two ago is worth revisiting to confirm it still reflects the family's current circumstances and goals.

The UAE's position as a leading destination for internationally mobile wealth is well earned, built on a deliberate, sustained strategy rather than any single advantage. But every location has its trade-offs, which is why multi-jurisdictional wealth planning has become a growing and lasting trend among internationally mobile families.

Hoxton's team in the UAE works with clients on exactly this - building contingency plans and diversifying family assets across multiple jurisdictions, so that a strong position stays a strong position, whatever changes around it.

If you’d like to discuss your situation with us, please get in touch.