UAE ranks 12th globally in the proportion of millionaire households, with 3.3 per cent holding private wealth of at least $1 million, according to a recent report issued by Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

The report from the international strategy and general management consulting company estimates that private wealth in the region will reach $7.2 trillion by the end of 2018, approximately a 3.6 per cent share of total global wealth.

 “On a regional level, the report reveals that private financial wealth grew by 11.6 per cent to reach $5.2 trillion in 2013,” said Hafeez Abdullah, chairman of The H Holding Enterprise, a leading investment firm operating in the Middle East.

“This poses lots of challenges for high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) in maintaining their wealth or growing it further with the least possible risk.

“The $7.2 trillion projected wealth needs the consultancy of wealth management companies in financial planning, investment portfolio management and other essential financial services,” he said.

“It is high time that HNWIs sought advice from specialists on a consistent basis to manage their investments, be it equities, bonds or even cash and deposits,” Abdullah noted.

“There is a strong need for wealth managers and financial planners who can develop wealth management strategies.”

Private wealth management services delivered to high-net-worth investors include advice on the use of various estate planning vehicles, business-succession or stock option planning, and occasional use of hedging derivatives for large blocks of stock.

“With the rise in the number of affluent investors in recent years, there has been an increasing demand for sophisticated financial solutions, including the Gulf,” added Abdullah.

Wealth management can be provided by large corporate entities, independent financial advisers or multi-licensed portfolio managers who design services to focus on high-net-worth clients.

 “With the growing size of private wealth in the Gulf, maximizing the returns on this wealth is today’s most pressing need and challenge. This has triggered fierce competition among wealth management firms to offer best packages to their clients,” Abdullah concluded. – TradeArabia News Service