Today's Edition
BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
Women in the UAE are increasingly approaching wealth creation with a long-term mindset, according to eToro's latest UAE Retail Investor Beat survey, which found that financial independence is the primary goal for 60% of women investors in the country.
The survey found that 71% of women investors in the UAE have been investing for more than three years, and that women are more likely than men to put money to work for long-term security and future payments.
"What stands out in the data is that women in the UAE aren't simply earning and spending. They understand wealth building, and their portfolio allocations reflect that," Nagham Hassan, Market Analyst at eToro, told Aletihad.
Women are building diversified portfolios rather than relying on a single asset class, Hassan said.
Savings accounts are the most widely held financial products among women investors at 84%, alongside investments such as shares, bonds and funds at 79%.
Within portfolios, 54% hold cash, 49% invest in commodities - mostly gold - 47% hold domestic equities, while alternative investments like real estate account for 46%.
These figures, Hassan said, point to an approach of actively and deliberately building wealth. "Investing became a necessity, not a luxury."
The expert said this shift extends beyond personal finances: women's deposits in savings accounts strengthen the banking system, while capital allocated to domestic equities, real estate and sectors like financial services and technology flows directly into companies and industries driving growth.
Geopolitical developments are also reshaping portfolios. Some 77% of women investors expect geopolitical tensions to affect their investments, prompting 52% to move capital into precious metals; 36% into energy commodities; and 31% into global equities outside affected regions, Hassan said.
At the same time, women's future investment interests in renewables (43%), communications (41%), and consumer goods (39%) show intentional diversification beyond the sectors they currently hold.
Hassan said these figures show how "women investors are being strategic, diversified, and forward-looking."
Investing in Real Estate
Real estate is part of the same pattern of deliberate, diversified wealth-building, another expert said.
Felicia Agmyren, Founder and Managing Partner of REX Real Estate, said the number of women investing in property has grown significantly in recent years. Dubai Land Department data shows women invested Dh154 billion across 76,700 transactions in 2025 - up 31% in value and 24% in volume year on year.
Agmyren said the trend spans a broad cross-section of women rather than a single demographic - from first-time expatriate investors in their late 20s and 30s choosing to buy homes in the UAE instead of their home countries, to Emirati women investing on a larger scale.
Property appeals to women investors partly because of its tangibility, she said. Unlike a stock ticker, a property can be seen, visited, and improved, while rental income, steady capital appreciation and greater control over the asset add to its draw.
Agmyren said the UAE stands out as a destination for women investing in property because of its safety, transparency, and accessibility.
"Personal safety and political stability are consistently the first things international clients mention, but the Golden Visa remains the single biggest driver," she said.
She also pointed to freehold ownership for foreigners in designated areas, the absence of personal income and capital gains tax on property, and digitised registration systems through ADREC and DLD that let women buy property independently.
"Women do not need a fortune or a finance degree to get started," Agmyren said. "You just need a first step."
