According to Betterhomes’ data-led report, Dubai will have 10,000 new millionaires in 2025. The country is no longer just a luxury pit stop for global travellers but a key base for the world’s wealthiest.
As of December 2025, the city had 81,200 millionaires. Together, they hold assets totalling $130.5 billion, a remarkable 98% jump in 10 years. A total of 142,000 HNWIs (high-net-worth individuals) are set to migrate globally this year. Even if Dubai secures just 5% of that number, it will gain 7,100 ultra-wealthy individuals and $7.1 billion in investments.
“Dubai has evolved into the globe’s most attractive plug-and-play hub for wealth. What has shifted is the purpose, which is that founders, operators, and multi-generational families are establishing roots here rather than merely visiting,” stated Louis Harding, CEO of Betterhomes.
Ticket sizes reveal a significant trend, specifically that HNWIs spend an average of AED11.4 million (USD 3.1 million) on each residential purchase, while UHNW (ultra-high-net-worth) families invest over AED134 million (USD 36.5 million-plus) in legacy villas, waterfront estates, and branded properties. These purchases focus on durability, professional services, and long-term planning rather than quick turnaround.
Market depth is expanding, specifically as Dubai’s high-end real estate market continues to establish new standards, with villa and townhouse sales year-to-date reaching AED147.2 billion (USD 40 billion), an impressive 41% increase from the previous year.
Ultra-prime communities are central to this trend, including Palm Jumeirah, which recorded 85 transactions valued at AED3.8 billion (USD 1 billion), while Emirates Hills experienced 30 deals amounting to AED1.9 billion (USD 517 million). At the highest end of the market, residences valued over AED35 million (USD 10 million) generated AED9.4 billion (USD 2.6 billion) in sales in the last six months, covering 146 deals.
How does Dubai transform flow into stock? Clear policies and the absence of personal income tax minimise obstacles for wealth generators. Security, contemporary infrastructure, top-notch healthcare and education, and a USD-linked currency benefit families intending to remain.
The DIFC environment, which includes private banking, trustees, and legal/accounting services, supports the expansion of family offices and capital-formation entities. The report states that these characteristics transform mobile inflows into lasting capital.
From status purchases to service layers, branded living has transformed from a symbol to a framework, specifically through concierge services, wellness offerings, club associations, and managed rental schemes unified under a single location. In a waterfront and villa market limited by supply, this service stack represents the new norm.
“This cycle is fuelled by actual users, not leverage. Global prosperity is centralising within branded ecosystems and established communities,” Harding stated.
As policy clarity and quality-of-life advantages accumulate, Dubai’s prime market is transitioning from cyclical trends to structural changes.
With the ongoing global migration supercycle, Betterhomes anticipates continued strength in prime and super-prime markets, expansion of family-office services, and developers intensifying their focus on concierge-level, club-associated offerings. As supply is limited in important sub-markets, high-quality inventory retains pricing power.
Established hubs (London, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Paris) encounter increasing tax and regulatory challenges. Dubai provides transparency, rapidity, and vastness, a unique blend for wealth generators who prioritise operational efficiency, reliable regulations, and worldwide access within a single flight. The report states that the outcome is a structural adjustment rather than a temporary fluctuation.