The conflict with Iran has done little to dent Dubai’s growing reputation as a dynamic global trade and finance powerhouse with a bright future ahead, according to Nigel Green, CEO of financial advisory giant deVere Group.
Regional tensions have sparked short-term caution in some corners of the business community, yet the structural forces that transformed Dubai into one of the world’s most important commercial centres remain firmly in place.
Green believes that Dubai will remain a financial powerhouse despite the ongoing conflict currently engulfing the entire Middle East region.
“Whenever geopolitical risk rises, markets react quickly. Businesses pause, investors reassess and some executives delay travel or hiring decisions. Those reactions are entirely typical during periods of regional tension, but they don’t alter the deeper trajectory of a financial centre like Dubai. Dubai’s success rests on decades of strategic economic planning, global connectivity and a clear commitment to attracting international capital and talent. A single episode of geopolitical stress won’t dismantle that foundation.”
Green added that what makes Dubai so compelling is the combination of factors that is rarely found in one location.
“It operates as a major trading hub, a tax-efficient jurisdiction and a city designed with a forward-looking economic vision. Geography places it between Asia, Africa and Europe, which naturally positions it at the crossroads of global commerce.”
Population growth illustrates how powerful that attraction has become. Dubai’s population has recently surpassed four million residents, with expatriates accounting for roughly 85–90% of the total.
“You have a city where a huge number of residents are international professionals, entrepreneurs and investors who have come to build businesses and careers. Energy of that scale naturally attracts capital. Global investors pay attention when talent and ambition concentrate in one place. Foreign investment continues to surge into the UAE despite geopolitical uncertainty. The country has ranked among the world’s leading destinations for foreign direct investment, drawing tens of billions of dollars annually as multinational companies expand regional headquarters and investment operations.
The deVere CEO elaborated further: “Wealth and investment clusters where ecosystems already exist. Dubai offers deep capital markets, sophisticated regulation, world-class aviation links and one of the most developed financial services sectors anywhere between London and Singapore. Once a city reaches that level of critical mass, it becomes extremely difficult for competing centres to replicate.”
According to Green, technology is now playing a central role in the city’s next stage of growth.
“The tech story in Dubai has accelerated dramatically. AI, fintech and digital finance are expanding at remarkable speed. Global investors and venture capital firms recognise that the Gulf is positioning itself as a serious centre for innovation. When influential, multi-billionaire investors Ray Dalio describes the Middle East as a rising hub for capital and artificial intelligence, he’s reflecting a view already widely held among global institutional investors.”
Nigel Green said that iInvestors follow opportunity, stability and scale, and claimed Dubai delivers all three.
“Zero income tax, global connectivity, personal safety and access to some of the fastest-growing markets in the world form a powerful combination. Dubai no longer needs to persuade investors of its relevance. The scale of capital, talent and enterprise already flowing through the city speaks for itself. As global wealth continues to shift and international professionals build more mobile lives, Dubai’s position as a major trade and finance hub will only strengthen in the years ahead.”
