UAE to attract 9,800 millionaires in 2025, topping global high-net-worth migration

Dubai: The UAE is on track to become the world’s top destination for high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) in 2025, with an expected net inflow of 9,800 millionaires, according to the latest Henley & Partners Private Wealth Migration Report.

It’s a number that places the UAE firmly ahead of global rivals and underlines the country’s rising status as a premier destination for private wealth — driven by lifestyle appeal, legal reforms, and business-friendly policies.

Wealth advisory conversations at St. James’s Place Middle East, a UK FTSE-listed firm, mirror the report’s findings. “The UAE’s popularity is being fuelled by outbound movements from the UK, and shifting wealth preferences in Asia,” the firm noted.

Adding to this momentum, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has emerged as a hotspot for ultra-wealthy families. It now hosts 120 family offices managing $1.2 trillion in assets. In just one year, DIFC saw a 33% rise in family offices, a 51% spike in foundations, and a 50% jump in hedge funds. Overall, 410 asset management firms operate in DIFC, marketing over 10,000 funds globally.

“The UAE’s ability to offer secular legal structures for marriage, divorce, and inheritance has been a game-changer,” said Sunita Singh-Dalal, Partner at Hourani. “It’s helped attract global families seeking stability and long-term asset protection.”

Economist Dr. Bhaskar Dasgupta, Chairman of the Apex Boards for Middle East and India, credits the UAE’s growth to its “strategic location, deep capital pools, English common law system, and world-class infrastructure.”

The twin hubs of DIFC (Dubai) and ADGM (Abu Dhabi) offer global investors secure legal frameworks under common law — a major differentiator in the region.

Even the UAE’s 2023 introduction of a corporate tax hasn’t slowed down inflows. On the contrary, FDI has risen, with 140 double taxation agreements now in place and fintech, AI and blockchain-driven initiatives expanding the UAE’s global financial footprint.

Major global players have taken note: BlackRock and Goldman Sachs are among those ramping up investments in the region to ride the UAE’s growth wave.

While Dubai and Abu Dhabi continue to dominate investor attention, Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) is quickly emerging as a rising star. Thanks to the Wynn Resort project, expected to open in 2027 with the region’s first regulated gaming destination, investor sentiment is soaring.

According to Knight Frank, 46% of global HNWIs now see RAK as a more attractive real estate destination. Among UAE-based wealthy expats, that number jumps to 80%.

With cost-efficient business zones like RAKICC and RAKEZ, and lifestyle-driven tourism expansion, RAK is carving out a niche for capital inflows beyond the traditional hubs.

Central to the UAE’s success is its ever-evolving Golden Visa programme. In the last nine months alone, five new sponsor-free visa categories have been introduced, from digital content creators to healthcare professionals and even luxury yacht owners.

The country’s Dubai Social Agenda 33, backed by Dh208 billion, takes a long-term view by placing family development, generational prosperity, and social cohesion at the heart of national policy.

The migration wave is real: 165,000 millionaires are expected to relocate globally next year. The UK alone faces a net loss of 16,500 millionaires. The UAE? A net gain of nearly 10,000 — from capitals like London, Mumbai, Moscow, and Beijing.

As Dominic Volek, Head of Private Clients at Henley & Partners, puts it: “Wealth migration has shifted from being an emergency backup to a core planning tool. And the UAE has emerged as one of the most effective platforms to execute that strategy.”

With its blend of legal certainty, investor-friendly regulation, strategic reforms, and future-focused planning, the UAE isn’t just attracting global wealth — it’s reshaping how the world’s rich plan their futures.

And in 2025, that future increasingly points to the Emirates.