Best financial advisors in Dubai & the UAE (and which to avoid)

Finding a trustworthy financial adviser in the UAE shouldn’t feel like navigating a minefield.

This guide guides you through how to pick a properly regulated, fee-transparent adviser, and the specific red flags to avoid so you don’t lock yourself into expensive, underperforming products.

_{Disclaimer: BrokerMatch is not affiliated with any financial advisor. Please check their credentials, contact the firms and do your own research.}

Best financial advisory companies in the UAE (shortlist to research)

Here are some names to consider (do your own research/explore the websites for yourself):

• AES Financial Services Ltd (DFSA-authorised). It provides expat-focused planning/wealth management under DFSA rules.
• Wilfred T. Fry (Personal Financial Planning) Ltd “The Fry Group” (DFSA-authorised). It provides cross-border tax, estate and wealth planning for expats; regulated advice permissions are clear on the DFSA register. (The group is also FCA-regulated in the UK.)
• Sarwa: Consumer robo-advisory and private-wealth offering. Group entities include Sarwa Investment Management Limited (DIFC, DFSA-authorised) and Sarwa Digital Wealth (Capital) Limited (ADGM, FSRA-authorised).
• Vault: Private wealth management company based in the UAE, great if you also value a digital experience. ADGM/FSRA registered, as "Vault Wealth Limited".

These operate under UAE regulatory rules and publish their regulatory status.

Here’s a quick comparison based on online information:

Financial coaches in the UAE (for DIY investors)

Many UAE residents invest via low-cost ETFs and robo options, sometimes with one-off coaching.

Coaching is education, not regulated advice in the UAE - use it to improve your plan, then implement via a regulated platform.

Here is a reputable financial coach in the UAE:

• Steve Cronin, from DeadSimpleSaving. Offers private coaching and courses for expats.

Coaching helps if you prefer DIY and want accountability without handing over your portfolio.

Choose a regulated firm

If you need a regulated, advice-led firm (complex cases, pensions, cross-border tax), shortlist advisors on the official registers and verify their permissions:

• DIFC (Dubai): DFSA-authorised advisers in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC)
• ADGM (Abu Dhabi): FSRA-authorised ****firms in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)
• Onshore UAE**:** SCA (Securities & Commodities Authority) licensed companies.

_{💡 Tip: An office address is not the same as a licence. Regulators explicitly warn that being incorporated locally does not mean a firm is authorised to advise. Always check the public registers.}

What a “good” financial advisor looks like

A quality UAE adviser should be able to evidence all of the following before you sign anything:

1. Regulatory status & permissions (DFSA/FSRA/SCA) + link to their public register entry.
2. Exact fees in dirhams or USD (one-off/retainer/AUM). Avoid vague ranges; insist on a fee schedule and disclosure of any ****third-party commissions.
3. No lock-ins or surrender penalties on the advice engagement.
4. Product-agnostic portfolios (low-cost, diversified funds/ETFs) rather than high-margin products.
5. Written conflicts-of-interest statement and confirmation they won’t receive product commissions.

Which to avoid

Please be extremely cautious if you see:

• Cold calls or WhatsApp pitches about “tax-free savings” or “exclusive offshore plans.”
• Guaranteed or target returns (e.g., “20% a year”) - this is marketing. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
• Advisors who receive commissions for recommending financial products. Avoid these at all costs.
• Long-term “savings plans” (15-25 years) or insurance-linked investment wrappers with bonuses, up-front commissions, and heavy surrender fees. These are widely criticised for high costs and lock-ins.
• Structured notes sold as “safe income” or “capital protected” without a clear downside illustration.

The UAE community has, for years, flagged commission-driven sales and sub-par outcomes versus simple, low-cost portfolios.

Not everyone needs an advisor

Titles like “wealth manager” and “financial architect” can sound impressive, but many salespeople are paid by product commissions, which creates conflicts between their incentives and your outcomes. A smaller set of professionals operate on transparent, client-paid fees and put your interests first - that’s what you want to hire when you genuinely need advice.

If your situation is straightforward, a simple, low-cost index fund portfolio can get you most of the way there.

Keep advisers for complex needs (tax, estates, pensions, business exits), and even then, be cautious if your incentives are aligned.

A large, active UAE community (e.g., SimplyFI) advocates DIY index investing with low costs and simple portfolios, reserving advisers for tax/estate complexity.

Their free guide is a solid resource to get started and understand the industry.

DIY & robo options

If you do go DIY (fully or partially), use regulated platforms:

• Interactive Brokers (IBKR) and other UAE-authorised brokers allow you to invest on your own. It’s a steeper learning curve, but in the long run, it pays off.
• Robo-advice: Firms like Sarwa operate under UAE regulatory oversight. It allows you to invest automatically in global, low-cost portfolios. They also offer a Private Wealth Management service for high-net-worth individuals.

Robo-advisor vs Financial Advisor vs DIY + Coaching

Bottom line

In the UAE, regulation and fees are the two levers that separate genuine financial planning from expensive product sales.

For many investors, a simple ETF portfolio (with or without one-off coaching) is enough; when your situation is complex, use a DFSA/FSRA/SCA-authorised adviser whose incentives are aligned with yours.

Hope this helped, and feel free to reach out to us if you need any help!

Useful tools & resources

• Broker Warning List
• FIRE Calculator
• S&P 500 Calculator
• Compound Interest Calculator
• SimplyFI Getting Started Guide (DIY investing for UAE residents)