Today's Edition
BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
Abu Dhabi’s wealthtech sector is growing alongside a new generation of investors who are more financially informed and harnessing artificial intelligence in a financial ecosystem designed to support innovation and long-term capital formation.
Roger Rouhana, CEO of Abu Dhabi-based wealthtech company Alpheya, said the country’s investment ecosystem is entering a more mature stage, where technology, regulation and investor behaviour are developing together.
From Access to Understanding
Rouhana noted that investors are increasingly focused on wealth preservation, wealth creation and home ownership, suggesting that financial literacy and accessibility are advancing hand-in-hand in the UAE.
Beyond individual investors, he pointed to initiatives such as the Abu Dhabi Youth Council’s Tharwa programme, which equips new generations with financial knowledge in areas including savings, investment, financial markets and SME finance, preparing them to participate in the UAE’s long-term economic growth.
AI is also reshaping how investors approach financial markets, he said, pointing out that 73% of UAE investors would use AI in investing, while 70.8% would trust AI to manage their portfolios, according to Alpheya’s data.
Rouhana said the discussion has moved beyond whether investors trust AI, to how it is governed and applied.
While AI can analyse information, monitor risk and identify investment opportunities more efficiently, he said investment decisions still require human judgment and personal context and an understanding of personal circumstances.
“The strongest model combines technology with human oversight. AI should explain, inform and challenge assumptions, while investors and advisers remain accountable for the final decision,” Rouhana told Aletihad.
He indicated that younger generations across the UAE are also more comfortable using technology to support their investment decisions, and wealthtech is adapting to that by delivering a more personalised experience.
“Younger investors typically expect the same digital experience from financial services that they receive from other parts of their lives, which includes transparency, accessibility, and real-time information,” Rouhana added.
He noted that wealthtech is helping banks meet those expectations by integrating AI-driven insights, personalised investment experiences, and digital advisory tools directly into existing platforms.
“This allows institutions to deliver a more modern, engaging experience while maintaining the trust, governance and oversight that remain important to investors,” he said.
Building Wealthtech from Abu Dhabi
Rouhana said that Abu Dhabi’s financial ecosystem has entered a new phase, emphasising that the emirate combines access to capital, regulatory clarity and a long-term approach to economic development, making it a natural environment for wealthtech companies.
Through Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the emirate has developed a globally recognised financial centre with a strong regulatory framework and a growing concentration of financial institutions, he said.
“Abu Dhabi approaches financial services with a long-term institution-building mindset. Wealth here is significant, growing, and increasingly managed locally, and for homegrown wealthtech companies, this is the natural place to be,” he added.
According to Rouhana, the biggest change has been the shift from simply attracting financial firms to building an ecosystem where regulation, capital, technology and talent develop together.
He pointed to the UAE’s new banking law as an example of a more comprehensive, fintech-friendly regulatory environment that supports innovation and long-term industry growth.
That shift reflects a broader evolution in Abu Dhabi’s role as a financial centre, according to Dr Wissam El Khoury, Associate Dean of the School of Business at the American University in Dubai, and wealth and investment consultant.
He said financial centres traditionally competed to attract deposits and investment flows, but the next generation will compete by providing the digital infrastructure through which wealth is created, managed and deployed.
“That is where wealthtech becomes strategically important,” El Khoury told Aletihad. According to El Khoury, Abu Dhabi is well positioned for that transition because it has developed complementary strengths simultaneously, including ADGM’s regulatory framework, a growing asset management ecosystem, digital financial regulation, investments in AI and cloud infrastructure, and one of the world’s largest pools of sovereign capital.
The emirate’s expanding financial ecosystem is already reflected in its latest figures, he said. ADGM reported a 57% year-on-year increase in assets under management during the first quarter of 2026, while the number of asset and fund managers rose to 179 and managed funds reached 263.
“That growth is significant because wealthtech becomes exponentially more valuable as the surrounding financial ecosystem deepens,” El Khoury added.
From an economic perspective, he noted that wealthtech improves the efficiency of financial intermediation by lowering information costs, strengthening portfolio construction and risk management, and connecting global savings with productive investment opportunities more efficiently.
“Wealthtech is not simply another financial service, it is becoming part of the institutional infrastructure that underpins future economic competitiveness,” El Khoury explained.
Supporting Economic Diversification
Looking ahead, Rouhana said wealth technology will become increasingly important as the UAE continues to diversify its economy, long-term growth will increasingly depend on efficient capital allocation, deeper participation in investment markets, and stronger financial inclusion.
According to El Khoury, wealthtech strengthens that process by making capital allocation faster, more transparent, more data-driven and more accessible.
He said this is particularly relevant as the UAE expands sectors including AI, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, healthcare, digital infrastructure and financial services.
By reducing transaction costs, improving investment analytics and broadening access to diversified investment products, wealthtech enables both institutional and individual investors to participate more effectively in these emerging sectors, he added.
