Abu Dhabi: The New Center of Gravity for Global Wealth

For over 50 years, Abu Dhabi has served as a steward of economic resilience. While others pursued short cycles, we invested patiently in infrastructure, institutions, and industries designed to endure. Today, that long game is paying off. By the end of 2025, the UAE is expected to record the highest net inflows of high-net-worth individuals globally. Nearly 10,000 millionaires are projected to relocate, with estimated investable wealth of USD 63 billion. A significant portion of that is heading to Abu Dhabi, which has established itself as a safe harbor for capital and a place where serious investors can help shape the future.

A meaningful proposition for global capital

The number of millionaires residing in Abu Dhabi has nearly doubled to 17,800 over the past decade. According to Henley & Partners’ World’s Wealthiest Cities Report 2025, the UAE’s capital ranks among the fastest growing destinations for wealth globally. This reflects a growing recognition that Abu Dhabi provides something unique for private wealth holders, family offices, and institutional investors: a jurisdiction that is predictable, well-regulated, and globally integrated, featuring a legal system based on English common law in ADGM, full foreign ownership, and no income tax.

However, despite this stability, today’s wealth seeks direction. In Abu Dhabi, private capital is embraced not only for what it brings but also for what it can build.

An economy entering a new era of transformation

Some may wonder, “Why Abu Dhabi?” I respond, “Why not Abu Dhabi?” We’re undergoing a once-in-a-generation shift that promises to reimagine a post-oil future shaped by a knowledge-based economy. The emirate is stepping forward with a bolder vision of becoming an agile, resilient, export-driven economy, anchored in innovation, future industries, and highly skilled talent through the Falcon Economy. This vision accelerates the transition to non-oil sectors, emphasizing high-growth, high-impact industries that produce novel products from precision medicine to smart mobility to alternative proteins.

Wealth creators can explore future industries that will define the next era of prosperity, built with rigor and backed by strategy. Economic clusters like SAVI (Smart Autonomous Vehicles Industries), AGWA (Agrifood and Water Abundance), and our newly launched life sciences cluster HELM (Health, Endurance, Longevity, and Medicine) are attracting global firms, addressing real-world challenges, and scaling commercial ventures. Investors operating in Abu Dhabi not only discover opportunities but also find a strategic partner in implementation.

Investors receive a partner throughout the journey

At the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), we serve as the growth partner to investors throughout the entire journey from structuring their family office to securing school placements and facilitating meaningful connections. In the first half of 2025 alone, we supported over 40 companies in successfully establishing or expanding operations in Abu Dhabi. We also offered 193 onboarding services to more than 94 investors, spanning business setup, banking, schooling, and relocation. In addition to our comprehensive services, we provide a seamless gateway to Abu Dhabi’s ecosystem, which houses over USD 1.7 trillion in sovereign capital, national champions, and a talented, diverse population representing over 200 nationalities.

Investors who establish operations in the emirate tend to adopt a long-term and futuristic perspective, which resonates with Abu Dhabi. High-net-worth individuals and family offices seek more than just yield; they’re looking for a jurisdiction that offers clarity of purpose, continuity of policy, and a role in shaping outcomes. Abu Dhabi is that jurisdiction.

Quality of life is a focus just as much as business

We recognize that wealth is complex and relocation is never purely financial. We address that complexity with discretion, service, and continuity. Furthermore, we are part of a broader government ecosystem dedicated to making the emirate the world’s most attractive destination for wealth creators who aim to grow with purpose. Abu Dhabi has been ranked as the safest city in the world for nine consecutive years. Its healthcare system is world-class, anchored by institutions such as Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Our quality education offerings continue to expand, with the upcoming arrival of Harrow International School joining a network of elite international campuses and academic institutions in the emirate. Abu Dhabi is a place where families can flourish within a dynamic, multicultural society unified by ambition.

Wealth with a point of view

A shift is underway in the world of wealth. Investors are recalibrating from volatility and short-term thinking towards jurisdictions that provide coherence and long-term vision. Abu Dhabi offers a clear proposition to a specific kind of investor: those who wish to build a legacy and shape the future, and who value the lifestyle to achieve both. As the world becomes increasingly fragmented, Abu Dhabi stands firm as a center of stability, ambition, and possibility. This is not simply a place to live; it’s a place to belong, underpinned by partnership, which we highly value at ADIO. We welcome investors who share our vision for a more diversified, globally connected, and resilient economy. Abu Dhabi is open for business; it is open to the world, and ready to build the future. Invest with us.