The wealth of UAE billionaires grew by $30 billion (Dh110 billion) or 21.6 percent in 2025, reaching over Dh600 billion due to strong macroeconomic growth, according to a new report.
The Billionaire Ambitions Report released by Swiss bank UBS indicates that UAE billionaires’ wealth increased from $138.7 billion (Dh509 billion) in 2024 to $168.7 billion (Dh619 billion) in 2025.
In 2025, the UAE witnessed the addition of two billionaires and the departure of one, bringing the total number of billionaires in the country to 19.
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In the Middle East and Africa, UAE billionaires are the wealthiest in the region compared to their counterparts in Israel ($108.1 billion), Saudi Arabia ($81 billion), Nigeria ($37.3 billion), South Africa ($36 billion), Egypt ($17.2 billion), and Lebanon ($6.2 billion).
Recently, British billionaire Lakshmi Mittal moved to the UAE due to high taxes in Europe and more business-friendly policies in the Emirates.
The 2025 Private Wealth Migration Report by Henley & Partners revealed that the UAE is expected to attract roughly 9,800 millionaires and about $63 billion in associated capital.
Saudi Arabian billionaires’ wealth more than doubled to $81 billion.
In the Middle East and Africa, UBS calculated that heirs may inherit at least $152.7 billion (Dh560.4 billion). Wealth transfer is likely to be concentrated in Israel, the UAE, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia.
In the UAE, an estimated $31.9 billion (Dh117 billion) worth of assets will be transferred over the next 15 years, marking the second-highest wealth transfer after Israel ($48.4 billion).
Niels Zilkens, head of wealth management Middle East at UBS GWM, stated that the robust increase in UAE billionaires’ wealth reflects both dynamic entrepreneurship and the intensifying transfer of wealth to the next generation.
“Looking ahead, heirs in the region are set to inherit around $153 billion over the next 15 years, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia at the forefront of this transition. These trends underscore the region’s rising influence in global wealth and the importance of forward-looking strategies to preserve and grow family legacies across generations,” said Zilkens.
Benjamin Cavalli, head of strategic clients and global connectivity at UBS Global Wealth Management and co-head EMEA OneUBS, mentioned that as families become more international and the great wealth transfer accelerates, the focus is shifting from simply preserving wealth to empowering the next generation to succeed independently and responsibly.
“This is influencing not only succession planning but also philanthropic priorities and long-term investment decisions,” he said.
“The billionaire community is more diverse, mobile, and forward-thinking than ever before. The combination of entrepreneurial drive and the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in history is creating new opportunities and challenges for families and wealth managers alike,” Cavalli added.
