UAE investors show 71% trust in AI portfolio management - survey
Alpheya survey reveals gap between demand and platform performance
#UAE #sentiment - Almost three-quarters of UAE investors would embrace artificial intelligence as an alternative to human advisors, with 70.8 percent trusting AI to manage their portfolios, according to a survey commissioned by Abu Dhabi-based wealthtech firm Alpheya. The survey, conducted between May and July 2025, covered 509 UAE-based investors spanning diverse age groups, investment experience levels and income brackets including high-net-worth individuals and retail investors. Barely half of high-net-worth individuals reported satisfaction with existing digital wealth management platforms. 37 percent of retail investors felt the same way. Meanwhile, 40% of investors reported unmet needs in wealth management product offerings.
SO WHAT? - The positive sentiment towards AI-powered wealth management solutions aligns with the UAE’s enthusiasm for AI, the popularity of AI apps and intensive usage of Generative AI. However, the findings also reveal a significant disconnect between investor appetite for AI-powered wealth management and the capabilities of existing digital platforms in the UAE market, creating substantial opportunity for providers that can bridge this gap.
Here are some key points from the survey:
Abu Dhabi-based wealthtech firm Alpheya. commissioned a survey conducted between May and July 2025 covering 509 UAE-based investors spanning diverse age groups, investment experience levels and income brackets including high-net-worth individuals and retail investors.
The survey revealed that 73 percent of respondents would embrace AI as alternative to human wealth management advisors.
Meanwhile, 70.8 percent of UAE investors would trust AI to manage their portfolios, demonstrating unusually high technology acceptance in financial services compared to global markets where AI adoption in wealth management remains lower.
Barely half of high-net-worth individuals reported satisfaction with existing digital wealth management platforms at 52 percent, representing the highest percentage amongst segments surveyed, whilst only 37 percent of retail investors expressed satisfaction with current digital wealth solutions.
40 percent of investors reported unmet needs in product offerings, perhaps signalling that the market has yet to deliver the seamless, personalised experience they expect from technology-enabled platforms.
Nearly 50% of investors turn to family members for investment decisions despite high AI acceptance, underscoring that personal relationships, reassurance and contextual nuance remain core to trust in wealth management alongside technological capabilities.
The findings highlight both opportunity and challenge facing digital wealth management providers in the UAE, with investor appetite for smarter, more holistic digital wealth management solutions rising whilst existing platforms fail to meet expectations.
The survey results reflect a market on the brink of transformation, with strong investor appetite, progressive frameworks in Abu Dhabi Global Market and Dubai International Financial Centre, and national initiatives enabling responsible innovation in the financial sector.
Founded in 2023, Alpheya offers cloud-native, AI-powered wealth and trading solutions to Middle East and North Africa banks, independent wealth managers, family offices and investment firms.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]