According to a new report, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was home to 52 billionaires in 2025, whose combined wealth was estimated at $201 billion. This figure places the country among the top 15 global billionaire markets.
However, the number of billionaires in the UAE decreased by 1.9 percent compared to the previous year, but their total asset value amounted to $201 billion, as indicated in the Altrata's Billionaire Census 2026 study. In terms of the number of billionaires, the UAE ranked 15th globally, trailing Saudi Arabia, which had 59 billionaires with a total wealth of $175 billion.
The share of UAE billionaires accounted for about 1.4 percent of the total number of global billionaires, which reached 3,795 people, and their combined wealth constituted approximately 1.3 percent of the global billionaire wealth of $15.1 trillion.
Dubai ranked eighth among global cities by the number of billionaires, tied with Shenzhen. In 2025, the emirate was home to 43 billionaires, two more than the previous year. Nevertheless, Dubai lags behind megacities such as New York, Hong Kong, San Francisco, London, Singapore, Los Angeles, and Beijing.
Altrata notes that the distribution of billionaires is shaped by the globalization of business and technology, as well as increasing capital mobility. Major cities continue to attract wealthy individuals due to the presence of entrepreneurial networks, financial services, and high-class living infrastructure. The report pays special attention to Dubai and Istanbul as significant billionaire hubs, highlighting the growing role of major Asian and emerging wealth centers in the global ranking.
The UAE's position aligns with the moderate growth in the number of billionaires in the Middle East in 2025. The number of billionaires in the region increased by 5 percent, reaching 254 people. Altrata points to economic diversification independent of oil and large state infrastructure programs as key factors driving capital inflow and wealth creation, especially in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
However, the total wealth of billionaires in the Middle East decreased by 4 percent, amounting to $700 billion, against the backdrop of weakening energy prices and inefficiencies in regional stock markets. The report states that oil prices fell by almost 20 percent at the end of 2025, marking the largest annual decline since 2020.
Globally, the number of billionaires grew by 8.2 percent in 2025, reaching a record 3,795 people, representing the strongest annual growth in five years. Their combined wealth increased by 12.8 percent, reaching $15.1 trillion. The US maintained its status as the world's largest billionaire market with 1,265 billionaires, followed by China with 363 and Germany with 221.
The top 15 countries by the number of billionaires accounted for 83 percent of global billionaire wealth. Altrata also found that among the 150 companies contributing most to billionaire wealth, those actively investing in artificial intelligence (AI) showed 23 percent higher market capitalization growth compared to companies that did not make such investments during the 2024–2025 period.
Wealth concentration intensified at the very top: the 29 wealthiest people in the world, whose net worth exceeds $50 billion, owned a combined $4.1 trillion in 2025. This amount is equivalent to 27 percent of all billionaire wealth, significantly higher than the 7.2 percent recorded in 2017. Altrata explains that billionaires' fortunes are usually concentrated in company ownership rather than cash, so stock market dynamics and business valuations can substantially affect their net worth.
Approximately 73 percent of middle-tier billionaires' portfolios consist of shares in public or private companies, while liquid assets account for about a quarter of portfolios. Furthermore, the report revealed that one of the world's top five billionaires was born in a country different from where they currently reside and where their main business is based, underscoring the increasingly mobile nature of global capital.
