Chinese Wealth shift from Singapore to Dubai
The global map of wealth is shifting once again, and this time the movement is coming from a group historically aligned with Singapore: wealthy Chinese families.
The Financial Times recently highlighted a clear trend — more Chinese UHNW individuals are now exploring Dubai and Abu Dhabi as primary bases for residency, investment, and family-office activity.
Over the past year, private banks and advisory firms across Asia have seen a surge in enquiries about the Gulf. The pace has been remarkable. Dubai’s DIFC, once a niche hub for global families, now hosts around 1,000 family-related entities, up from 600 just two years ago.
A significant share of this growth has been driven by Chinese entrepreneurs attracted to the UAE’s stability, straightforward residency pathways, and benign tax environment. The country’s 10-year Golden Visa has become a powerful draw, offering certainty in an increasingly complex world.
Some families are even selling properties in Singapore and redeploying capital into the Gulf.
But the motivations are pragmatic. While Singapore remains the region’s most sophisticated family-office ecosystem, now home to more than 2,000 structures, the pathway to permanent residency or citizenship has tightened sharply. Approval rates can fall to single digits, and scrutiny has intensified, particularly after recent high-profile financial crimes. Establishing a family office in Singapore is still straightforward; securing a long-term future there is far more selective.
Sector-specific dynamics are accelerating the shift. Crypto founders and digital-asset entrepreneurs increasingly prefer Dubai’s regulatory posture: it has licensed 39 firms under its dedicated regulator, compared to Singapore’s 36 digital-payment licences and tougher enforcement.
Interestingly, it is the mid-segment — entrepreneurs with USD 50 m to 200 m in assets — that is driving much of the movement. Mobile, commercially ambitious, and sensitive to regulatory friction, they see the Gulf as a platform for speed, optionality, and international expansion.
What we are witnessing is not a contest between hubs but a rebalancing of philosophies. Singapore is doubling down on governance, trust, and long-term alignment with society. Dubai is building fast, opening doors wide, and positioning itself as a global crossroads for entrepreneurial talent. Both approaches attract different kinds of families — and both will continue to shape the geography of Asian wealth in the coming decade.
For advisers, the work becomes more multidimensional: helping families navigate these diverging regulatory paths, understanding the governance expectations of each hub, and ensuring that long-term intent — legacy, mobility, opportunity, and safety — aligns with the jurisdiction they choose.
One question becomes central: how do globally mobile families decide where their next chapter begins?
Get In Touch
For more information please contact Michael Velten.
michael@veltenadvisors.com
+6590687547
37 Ann Siang Rd, Singapore 069715
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