What was the main impetus behind your wealth corridors linking the UAE with London and Hong Kong?
We launched the UAE-London and UAE-Hong Kong wealth corridors in response to the growing needs of high net-worth clients for personal, business and investment interests into the UAE. As the UAE continues to attract global wealth, these clients are either making UAE their second home or diversifying a portion their wealth into the UAE into different asset classes. Our aim is to engage with these clients earlier in their decision-making journey, i.e. at the source, and provide a seamless bridge between their home market and the UAE. These corridors allow us to acquire and serve clients in a more integrated way, helping them navigate cross-border opportunities while benefiting from the UAE’s strong position as a leading global wealth hub and sophisticated regulatory framework.
Beyond capital terms, in what ways are the corridors important to your clients and to the bank? Beyond capital, the corridors help clients manage increasingly international lives. They provide seamless access to integrated solutions i.e. banking, investments, family office services, wealth structuring, succession planning and cross-border solutions through a single relationship. For Mashreq Private Banking, the corridors allow us to engage clients earlier, support them through wealth transition across jurisdictions, and build deeper long-term relationships by serving as a trusted bridge between global financial centres and the UAE’s wealth ecosystem. UAE does not just offer a booking centre, but clients often cite political stability, safety & security, attractive residency options and global connectivity,
How has the geopolitical background of this year influenced your Corridors?
The geopolitical backdrop has not fundamentally changed the rationale for our wealth corridors. If anything, it has highlighted the value of connectivity between established financial centres.
During periods of uncertainty, clients naturally review diversification, succession planning and how their wealth is structured across jurisdictions. Our role is to provide the connectivity and capabilities that allow them to navigate those decisions with greater flexibility. Against this backdrop, we continue to see the UAE’s family wealth ecosystem develop. DIFC reported more than 1,400 family-related entities by September 2026, compared with over 1,250 at the beginning of the year, illustrating the continued expansion of the ecosystem.
Were the effects of the tensions manifesting in common ways across the differing corridors?
Yes. Across both corridors, we saw clients place greater emphasis on diversification, wealth preservation, succession planning and access to stable financial ecosystems. While the specific motivations may vary between markets, the common theme was a desire for greater resilience and flexibility in an increasingly uncertain world. This reinforced the value of having a seamless corridor that connects clients to opportunities, expertise and wealth infrastructure across jurisdictions.
What more can we expect to see develop as the corridors business continue their operations?
Looking ahead, we expect the corridors to evolve beyond client acquisition into comprehensive wealth ecosystems. Demand will increasingly be driven by family office services, succession planning, wealth structuring and multi-jurisdictional solutions. The next phase of the wealth corridors will be defined by how effectively both markets develop the ecosystem required to manage globally mobile capital. For modern entrepreneurs, investors and affluent families, the future of wealth management will not be centered in a single jurisdiction. Instead, it will be built across trusted corridors that link opportunity with security, and business growth with wealth preservation. The most successful wealth hubs will be those that combine stability, connectivity and the infrastructure to support wealth across generations and we see the corridors playing a central role in delivering that experience.
