Dubai and Abu Dhabi race to lure world's wealth managers

By Nell Mackenzie, Federico Maccioni and Hadeel Al Sayegh

DUBAI (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi is emerging from Dubai's shadow as it attracts its own share of asset managers' and billionaires wealth, helping cement United Arab Emirates' role as an alternative to global financial hubs.

Lacking rich oil reserves, Dubai has built up over the past two decades its position as the region's No. 1 financial centre, with its allure of low taxes, the application of English common law and exposure to the region's brisk economic growth.

Globally, Dubai ranks 16th in the latest tally from the Global Financial Centres Index, while Abu Dhabi is 35th, with both number one and two, respectively, for the Middle East and Africa region.   

But over the past few years Abu Dhabi, which holds 90% of UAE's oil reserves, has accelerated efforts to diversify its economy, leaning on its vast wealth and sovereign funds that together manage almost $2 trillion to boost non-oil growth.

The emergence of companies in a range of new sectors and potential for business created by Abu Dhabi's investments have not gone unnoticed in the international financial community.

"It's completely changed in the past year, there's been an influx of money managers, hedge funds, alternatives etc. coming to conferences to raise funds here," said Ryan Lemand, co-founder and CEO of Abu Dhabi-based fund management and investment advisory firm, Neovision Wealth Management. 

Some have already set up shop in Dubai, or increasingly, Abu Dhabi to gain an edge over those travelling from London, New York, or Hong Kong to drum up new business. 

Lemand was speaking ahead of this week's Alternative Investment Management (AIM) Summit in Dubai that drew hundreds of institutions from across the globe, including names like Brevan Howard and JPMorgan Asset Management. 

While statistics for both centres are not entirely comparable, they show Dubai remains well ahead. The Dubai International Financial Centre currently has so far over 420 wealth and asset management firms operating in the city, its head of wealth and asset management said at the AIM conference. There were no recent figures for Abu Dhabi and data from end of June showed 112 fund firms registered there.

The latter, has clear momentum, though, according to eight attendees of the AIM Summit.

NEW ARRIVALS

They cited rising company registrations, the draw of sovereign wealth funds and the ease of obtaining a license to operate compared with other financial centres and now at par with Dubai's. They spoke on background because the subject matter was sensitive to their business.

Billionaire Ray Dalio, founder of hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, and other hedge funds including Brevan Howard are among those who now have a presence in Abu Dhabi. Asset managers PGIM, the investment management arm of U.S. insurer Prudential Financial, and Nuveen are also new additions.

General Atlantic, a New York based private equity firm with $83 billion under management, is also set to join after it received preliminary approval. 

A further dozen or so asset managers and hedge funds have been approved in principle, according to data from Abu Dhabi Global Market, the city's financial centre. 

Abu Dhabi is the world's richest city when measured by the assets held by sovereign wealth funds, sitting on $1.7 trillion, with such funds managing around $500 billion in Dubai, according to a Global SWF report released earlier this month.

An employee at one investment firm, who declined to be named, said the bigger presence of sovereign wealth funds served as an incentive to set up in Abu Dhabi.

For both centres the ease and clarity of regulations has been a major draw for financial investors.

"The regulatory environment is extremely favourable," said Brandon Robinson deputy head of private markets at JPMorgan Asset Management.

UAE's ambition to become a global centre for the crypto industry, with the regulator for the emerging sector operating in Dubai since 2022 is also wooing new players.

The United States lacks an overarching national framework, while European Union rules are coming into force this year, placing UAE ahead of global financial hubs.

Brevan Howard does a significant amount of its crypto trading from UAE, Ryan Taylor, group head of compliance at the hedge fund, told the AIM conference. 

Both cities also work hard to boost tourism and property investment and for some Dubai, with a longer record of drawing international finance and vibrant entertainment, was still ahead.

Boasting the world's tallest skyscraper, Dubai had a clear edge in the number of night clubs and high-end restaurants and, as one hedge fund professional described it, the city's financial district was "buzzing." 

(Reporting by Nell Mackenzie, Federico Maccioni, Hadeel Al Sayegh and Rachna Uppal; Writing by Dhara Ranasinghe; Editing by Elisa Martinuzzi and Tomasz Janowski)