Dubai continues to strengthen its position as one of the world’s leading destinations for global wealth, with the latest World’s Wealthiest Cities Report 2025 from Henley & Partners highlighting another milestone in the city’s long-term growth. As more high-net-worth individuals choose Dubai as a place to live, invest, and build businesses, demand for premium residential property continues to deepen. The findings reinforce the UAE’s broader strategy of attracting international capital, talent, and entrepreneurship through long-term economic planning.
Original article: Dubai is now home to more than 80,000 millionaires by Arabian Business.
Key Insights:
Wealth Migration Is Supporting Long-Term Property Demand
The report found that Dubai’s millionaire population has more than doubled over the past decade, reaching 81,200 residents, while the city is also home to 237 centi-millionaires and 20 billionaires. It also highlights a 102% increase in millionaires between 2014 and 2024, making Dubai one of the fastest-growing wealth centres globally and lifting it from 21st to 18th place in the global rankings within a year. This sustained inflow of wealth creates a deeper pool of long-term buyers and investors, supporting demand across luxury homes, branded residences, and premium investment opportunities rather than relying solely on short-term market activity.
Government Policies Continue to Attract Global Capital
The report attributes much of the UAE’s success to its competitive business environment, including zero personal income tax, no capital gains tax, strong legal frameworks, and residency initiatives such as the Golden Visa. Henley & Partners also highlights that today’s wealthy individuals increasingly diversify where they live in the same way they diversify their investments, prioritizing stability, infrastructure, safety, and ease of doing business. These structural advantages continue to position Dubai as a preferred destination for entrepreneurs, investors, and global business owners seeking long-term certainty.
The UAE's Wealth Story Extends Beyond Dubai
While Dubai remains the headline performer, the report shows that Abu Dhabi’s millionaire population has also grown by 80% over the past decade and forecasts that both cities will more than double their centi-millionaire populations by 2035. Combined with strong growth in Riyadh, the findings point to the Gulf becoming an increasingly important destination for global wealth as traditional financial centers experience declining millionaire populations. For property investors, this reinforces the view that the UAE’s growth is being supported by a broader regional shift in global wealth rather than demand from a single city alone.
Global Wealth Continues to Choose Dubai
The continued growth in Dubai’s wealthy resident base highlights a broader shift in where global capital is choosing to locate. Increasingly, entrepreneurs, investors and business owners are relocating to the UAE for the long term, creating sustained demand for premium residential property and high-quality communities.
The report also suggests Dubai’s appeal now extends well beyond tax advantages alone. Stable regulation, modern infrastructure, safety and quality of life are becoming equally important factors in attracting international wealth, helping the city compete with some of the world’s most established financial centres.
As wealth migration continues and both Dubai and Abu Dhabi are forecast to expand their ultra-high-net-worth populations over the coming decade, the UAE appears well positioned to support long-term demand across its residential property market.
