DUBAI (ALETIHAD)

New HSBC research conducted by Ipsos has found that the UAE ranks among the top three of the 10 markets surveyed for investor satisfaction with quality of life.

More than eight in 10 (83 percent) are satisfied with their quality of life, compared with 75 percent globally.

The research also found that one in five (21 percent) UAE investors are launching, acquiring or investing in a new business venture, compared with 17 percent globally.

The findings come as HSBC hosts its first UAE Wealth Investment Summit in Dubai on Thursday.

The findings are based on a survey of 9,993 affluent and high-net-worth investors across ten markets, including 703 in the UAE.

Despite managing multiple priorities, high-net-worth and affluent investors in the UAE are more confident about their financial future than their peers globally, with nearly nine in 10 (87 percent) confident of meeting their short-term financial goals and 81 percent confident of meeting their long-term goals.

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

He added, “Hosting our first UAE Wealth Investment Summit is a clear statement of our confidence in the UAE’s future as a global wealth centre.”

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.

Craig Worobec, HSBC’s Head of Wealth and Premier Solutions, Middle East & UAE, said, “More and more, they are choosing to manage that international wealth from here in the UAE, supported by a wealth sector that continues to deepen. Our role is to give them access to global investment opportunities, with planning that adapts as their goals change.”

The research also highlights the scale of wealth set to pass between generations in the UAE. Half (50 percent) of UAE investors expect to receive a significant financial inheritance, compared with 43 percent globally, while 58 percent expect to leave a significant financial legacy to their heirs or other causes.