Moving to Saudi Arabia: Financial Guide for UK Expats
A practical guide for UK professionals relocating to Saudi Arabia from the UK or the UAE. Saudi Arabia has become one of the most significant destinations for UK professionals in the Gulf. Some are recruited directly from the UK; increasingly, many are already based in the UAE and are being drawn across by Vision 2030 […]
Market Review – July 2026
July has offered little respite from the geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty that has defined the first half of 2026. The Middle East conflict remains the dominant source of inflation and energy-market risk, despite attempts to establish a ceasefire and reopen key shipping routes. The initial improvement in sentiment following the peace agreement proved short-lived, with […]
The $4 Million Blind Spot: A UAE Tech Executive’s Story
What one senior tech executive in the UAE didn’t know about his US shares, and the risks revealed Karim is a senior technology executive based in the UAE who has spent much of his career working for large international companies. He is smart, analytical and financially literate, far more so than most. He was also […]
Inheritance tax on UK pensions from 2027: What UAE expats need to know
For many UK expats in the UAE, pensions have long been treated as the asset you touch last. The logic was well established. Pensions grew tax-efficiently, sat outside the estate for UK Inheritance Tax (IHT), and could pass to the next generation with little or no tax. Spend everything else first, leave the pension until […]
Market Review – June 2026
June marked a turning point for global markets as the signing of a peace agreement in the Middle East triggered a relief rally across energy markets. While oil prices quickly retreated towards their pre-conflict levels, the broader macroeconomic effects proved far less immediate. While a brief resurgence in hostilities over the final weekend of June […]
3 Warning Signs Your Financial Adviser May Be Underperforming
I have been a financial planner in Dubai since 2019; before that, living in Kuala Lumpur and Cairo. In that time, I have had the opportunity to review several portfolios belonging to British expats who believed their finances were in good shape. Many contained areas that could potentially be improved. The same three problems come […]
Market Review – May 2026
Three months into the Middle East conflict, the global economy has transitioned from the initial shock phase and into a more complex adjustment period. While oil prices have retreated roughly 20% from their conflict peaks on hopes of a diplomatic resolution, they remain structurally higher than their pre-war levels. Despite the pullback in crude prices, […]
Dubai Property Concentration Risk: The Case for Diversification in 2026
There is a scenario I encounter more often than you might expect. A successful entrepreneur, a founder, a senior executive. Built something real. Earns well. Has accumulated substantial wealth over a decade or more in the UAE. And when you sit down to map out where that wealth sits, the picture is often consistent: a […]
The pension that cost £48,000 before a single decision was made
How a UAE-based expat discovered his pension had been restructured without his knowledge, the adviser behind it held no valid licence, and what it took to rebuild from the ground up. Think your pension may have been mis-sold? Request a free review *Details have been anonymised and certain figures may have been adjusted to protect […]
Market Review – April 2026
Two months into the Iran war, the global macro picture is no longer defined purely by the initial oil shock. Markets have staged a strong recovery from their March lows, helped at times by hopes of talks or a broader ceasefire, even as risk remains elevated because ceasefire efforts have repeatedly stalled and oil has […]