Special Report: Money matters

Exploring the future of wealth management in the GCC

- ZAINAB MANSOOR

The numbers game

The concept of wealth has evolved significantly – from clothes and metals to fiat and digital currencies, wealth has not only changed hands but forms as well.

As wealth evolved, so did the art of managing it. Hence wealth management too has gone through layers of disruption to morph into its current advisory form, which broadly incorporates financial planning, portfolio management and financial services, primarily to increase a client’s asset base. What remains relatively unscathed is the value of wealth itself – that of being an economic enabler, necessitating a deeper understanding of who owns it, how it is spent and the trends that govern it.

Since differing asset classes have diverse yields, which can be imputed to their risk and return parameters and the prevalent economic conditions at the time, and since no asset class has been found to outperform its peers perennially, it is noteworthy to weigh them according to the dynamic investment climate. Which is why mapping out a diverse investment portfolio is only judicious.

Furthermore, as the digital and financial landscape further evolves and as priorities of well-heeled individuals shift, will wealth retain its current form or is it expected to be redefined in years to come?

By 2040, wealth won’t just grow, it will be redefined, fueled by a more knowledgeable and empowered client base, rapid digitisation, and far greater choice of providers and services, according to a Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report.

Furthermore, the pool of wealthy clients will change in the next 20 years – they will be more educated and economically empowered; more wealth will be in more hands globally; wealth in growth markets will increase faster than in mature markets; and women will grow their wealth faster than men, the report read.