UAE ranks third globally in quality of life satisfaction among wealthy investors, HSBC finds

The United Arab Emirates has placed among the top three countries globally for investor satisfaction with quality of life, a factor that bolsters confidence in financial prospects, according to a study by HSBC.

Approximately 83 percent of more than 700 high-net-worth individuals surveyed in the UAE expressed satisfaction, positioning the country behind only Mexico and India, the London-based bank reported at the UAE Wealth Investment Summit in Dubai on Thursday.

The survey, conducted by French research firm Ipsos, encompassed nearly 10,000 high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) across 10 markets.

Strong satisfaction and confidence

UAE satisfaction levels significantly exceeded the overall average of 75 percent, with more than a quarter of respondents awarding a perfect score for quality of life. This share tied for the highest among all markets and stood well above the global average of 15 percent, the report noted. Nearly 90 percent of those surveyed also expressed greater confidence in their financial future, it added.

Survey participants also showed heightened activity in business plans, with over one-fifth reporting that they were launching, acquiring, or investing in a new venture, compared with the general average of 17 percent, HSBC stated.

“The UAE has built an environment where people and their wealth can thrive, and this research shows it,” said Sami Abouzahr, HSBC’s head of international wealth and premier banking for the Middle East and UAE. “Investors here are confident, ambitious and internationally connected, and they are planning for the long term.”

Wealth transfer and inheritance outlook

The HSBC study also indicated that half of UAE investors expect to receive a significant financial inheritance, compared with 43 percent globally, while about 58 percent expect to leave a significant financial legacy to their heirs or other causes.

Among those who expect to inherit and could estimate its value, the average expected inheritance stands at around Dh2 million ($545,000), roughly twice the global figure, with recipients typically expecting to receive it around age 52, HSBC said.

“A significant transfer of wealth between generations is under way in the UAE and families want to get it right,” said Craig Worobec, HSBC’s head of wealth and premier solutions for the Middle East and UAE. “That means planning early, having open conversations about what wealth is for, and preparing the next generation with the skills and networks to use it well.”

Continued wealth attraction despite regional tensions

Despite geopolitical uncertainty and economic headwinds, wealth generation and the inflow of new money to the UAE persist. The country continues to attract ultra-wealthy individuals, global wealth managers, and trillion-dollar asset managers.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been ranked among the top 10 destinations for next-generation wealth, despite fallout from geopolitical tension and hostility, London-based consultancy Savills said in a separate report last week.

Also last week, a study from Boston Consulting Group projected that net wealth in the UAE will increase to $6 trillion by the end of this decade, despite short-term volatility caused by conflict in the Middle East.

“With a highly international population and wealth that spans several countries, the UAE has become a base from which investors manage and grow their wealth around the world,” HSBC said.