There’s no lack of wealth — or the money management advice that comes with it — in Dubai, the Middle East’s go-to business hub.
And so far in 2016, its highly diversified economy and GDP growth are running at over 4.5 percent this year.
Both international and private banks are ready with financial advice and wealth management services. While many offer their own products to corporate clients as well as individuals, others disdain from doing so in order to remain unbiased when making recommendations.
Of course, due diligence has always been necessary when selecting a wealth management advisor, and never more so today than today. Arjun Patel and Michael Spellacy of PricewaterhouseCoopers’ strategy consultancy firm Strategy& say that “the very nature of financial advice and how it is delivered are up for grabs in the midst of a revolution both loud and quiet.” And the matter of trust is at the heart of it.
If you’re looking for help with your financial planning in Dubai, take a look at the list we’ve compiled. There are 18 local financial advisors, banks and private wealth management services, all in Dubai, for you to consider. Use it as your research springboard, and dive right in.
Banks and Wealth Management Services
Mondial Dubai
Licensed by the UAE Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), Mondial Dubai manages in excess of USD 1 billion, with a team of more than 20 financial consultants. The independently owned company is part of the Financial Partners Group network, which allows it to obtain asset management services and training as well as back-office support.
Guardian Wealth Management
Guardian Wealth Management offers wealth management services to expatriate and international individuals, from its London headquarters as well as its Dubai offices. In addition to wealth management, GWM services include independent financial planning, saving plans, investment advice and retirement and inheritance tax planning. Currently it has more than 7,000 international clients, managing more than £450 million in client savings.
Globaleye
A Dubai-headquartered multinational company, Globaleye offers both financial planning and wealth management as well as insurance-related advice to more than 15,000 worldwide corporate and private clients. Globaleye has an Offshore Financial Services platform which offers a selection of mutual funds, pension plans and tax-planning solutions, in addition to corporate seminars on topics that include estate planning.
Acuma
Licensed by both the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates and the UAE Ministry of Economy, Acuma is an independent, recognised financial planning provider in the Gulf region, with offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Acuma delivers financial advice to expatriates and international investors based in the Middle East, including education and retirement planning.
Holborn Assets
Independently owned, Holborn Assets in Dubai is a global financial advisory group. In his message, Holborn’s founder and CEO, Robert Parker, writes that his company’s advisors are all members of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) or Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment (CISI) in the UK. He adds that they are not sales-driven but rather “approach financial planning in a holistic and compliant manner.”
Abu Dhabi Finance
While not a money management firm, per se, Abu Dhabi Finance, which has offices at the Dubai Marina, helps individuals and corporations alike with respect to mortgages, refinancing and other real estate-based financial transactions. Serving Emirati and expatriate clients, the team at Abu Dhabi Finance bring local financial knowledge and real estate expertise to benefit your real estate investment.
IP Global
IP Global is a full-service property investment company with one of its international offices in Dubai. Established in 2005, it adds global real estate holdings to portfolios of high-net-worth investors and international landlords. The goal of IP Global is for its clients “to be able to manage and capitalise on their property investments just as easily as they would any other globally recognised asset class.”
Continental
Among the largest independent financial advisory firms in the UAE, Continental has more than 19 years of experience and expertise to offer, with local offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. Licensed by the Central Bank of UAE and the UAE Ministry of Economy, the team of 200 at Continental does not have a vested interest in promoting any particular financial product to its 25,000-plus clients, maintaining instead an unbiased and client-focused approach.
Arbuthnot Latham
Offering private banking, wealth planning and investment management services, Arbuthnot Latham opened its first Dubai office in Dubai in 2013. Using an “open architecture” policy, Arbuthnot Latham is advice-led and completely independent in that it does not manufacture its own products, although its presence in London, Geneva, Singapore, Hong Kong and Luxembourg gives its clients a choice in terms of where to hold assets.
Centaur Asset Management
Centaur Asset Management is a global investment holding company that provides investment solutions for individuals and institutions, including asset and wealth management and investment strategies. Driven by integrity and ethical values, with a mission to become one of the world’s leading asset management firms in developed and emerging markets, Centaur’s principal office is in Dubai.
SHUAA
Founded in 1979, SHUAA Asset Management, with offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Jeddah, serves small and medium-sized businesses and high-net-worth individuals in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Registered in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services, SHUAA’s mission is to be an advisor and financial intermediary to investors in the region.
Killik & Co
The Dubai branch of Killik & Co, a wealth management firm established in the UK in 1989, provides its clients of all sizes individually tailored investment advice with the ultimate goal of growing their assets and achieving their lifestyle goals. Services include investment management and advisory stockbroking services as well as advice on issues such as pensions and taxation.
HSBC Bank
The Dubai branch of HSBC is one of eight across the region which the bank has developed in its more than 60 years of experience in the UAE. Wealth planning is one of the services it offers. This includes planning for the cost of a child’s education, the cost of retirement, and how to grow and manage wealth to achieve lifestyle and business goals.
Mashreq
This bank has been providing banking and financial services, including wealth management, since 1967 across the UAE. It has an international presence, as well, with offices in Europe, the US, Asia and Africa.
If it’s private banking you’re looking for, Mashreq investment experts personally advise you based on your unique financial situation, long-term goals and level of risk capacity as well as investment horizon. They also conduct regular assessments to ensure growth is maintained and continued.
Wealth Advisors and Financial Planners
Adeel Safvi
Working as a senior wealth advisor at the Dubai HSBC branch, Adeel Safvi manages the existing portfolios of high net-worth individuals. In addition to attracting new clients with the full range of HSBC wealth management products and services available to him, his goal is to retain existing clientele with whom he already has a relationship.
Asim Macci
Asim Macci is a senior wealth advisor at deVere Acuma in Dubai, and as such assists expatriates in all aspects of financial planning. While he advises on life insurance, forex trading and expat wills, Macci specialises in helping with all aspects of wealth management, including retirement planning, tax protection, international property and asset management, education planning, and more.
Utpal Garware
Citibank is well represented in the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai, and Utpal Garware is a wealth management advisor there. Using a Citi-based advisor to help manage finances allows both individuals and businesses to consider a broad range of in-house products and services, including investment banking and securities brokerage.
Dale Vine
Giving simple, impartial advice is one of the principles of Chartercross Capital Management in Dubai, and wealth manager Dale Vine offers just that to expatriates regarding all aspects of their personal finances. Helping to create and preserve wealth is another mandate at Chartercross, and they offer both individual and corporate clients cross-border, international, and offshore advisory services.
images by: Xema, Unsplash, Ahmed A. Ghaffar
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