John Fredriksen

A Norwegian native and a major figure in global shipping, John Fredriksen ranks among the ten wealthiest residents of the UK, with a fortune estimated at over $10 billion. He recently shifted much of his business to Dubai, driven by the UK’s decision to abolish its long-standing non-dom tax regime, a policy that had long attracted ultra-wealthy foreigners. Fredriksen has become a symbol of the accelerating capital flight from Europe to the Gulf.

Michael Edward Platt

Michael Platt, one of Britain’s richest financiers and co-founder of BlueCrest Capital Management, once among Europe’s largest hedge funds, is now based in the UAE. The fund, founded in 2000, at its peak managed more than $35 billion in assets. With a net worth of $18.8 billion, Platt completed his relocation to the Emirates in June, along with moving his office operations. The shift follows BlueCrest’s expansion in Dubai, where it secured regulatory approval to operate in the emirate’s financial center three years ago.

Shravin Bharti Mittal

With a net worth estimated at $27 billion, Shravin Bharti Mittal is the heir to a powerful Indian business dynasty and the founder of investment firm Unbound. At the age of 37, he became the largest private shareholder in British telecom giant BT Group. In the spring of 2025, Mittal launched a new branch of his firm in Abu Dhabi. This move coincided with rising tax pressures in the UK and underscored growing investor interest in the UAE as a stable alternative to traditional financial hubs.

Pavel Durov

Telegram founder Pavel Durov made the UAE his base back in 2017, the same year the messaging platform officially relocated its headquarters to Dubai. After leaving Russia in 2014, Durov and his brother chose the Emirates as their main residence and business hub. As of 2024, Forbes estimated Durov’s wealth at $15 billion, placing him at No. 120 on the global rich list. He was recognized as the wealthiest expatriate in the UAE in 2022 and named Dubai’s most influential entrepreneur by Arabian Business in 2023.

Nassef Sawiris

Nassef Sawiris, Egypt’s wealthiest businessman and one of the region’s most influential investors, commands a fortune of roughly $9.6 billion. He holds a 30% stake in OCI NV, a global leader in mineral fertilizers, as well as significant holdings in Adidas AG (6%) and Holcim Group (3.4%), the world’s largest cement producer. In late 2023, Sawiris moved his family investment office, NNS Group, to the Abu Dhabi Global Market, reinforcing the UAE’s growing status as a global hub for private capital management.