Dec 26, 2024
Entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary is best known for his long-running stint on Shark Tank. However, few might know about one of the investor’s more interesting recent acquisitions: Emirati citizenship.
He made the announcement on LinkedIn in 2023, mentioning his desire to live and work in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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“You talk about financial services, and just the scale of how fast it’s growing, it’s absolutely huge,” he says in a recent YouTube video. “You got to go there, because that’s where the money is.”
Since discovering oil nearly 60 years ago, the UAE has transformed into a modern state with a high standard of living. Today, the energy sector accounts for just 30% of the economic output, which means the country has successfully diversified, according to Forbes.
And the growth engine isn’t slowing down. According to a forecast by KPMG, the UAE economy could grow by 6.7% in 2025, outpacing many of its regional peers and several western economies. For context, the U.S. economy is expected to grow just 2.2% in 2025, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Fortunately, you don’t have to move to Abu Dhabi or Dubai to gain some exposure to this growth. Here are two ways to bet on the rapidly expanding Emirati economy.
Exchange traded funds
A handful of exchange traded funds or ETFs focus on this region. The iShares MSCI UAE ETF (UAE) is a good example. Its portfolio is a broad mix of the largest publicly-traded companies across the Emirates, making it a good proxy for the nation’s economy.
Top holdings include Emaar Properties, a real estate developer controlled by Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; Air Arabia, one of the largest low-cost air carriers in the region; and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, a major financial services institution focused on Islamic finance.
Over the course of 2024, the ETF has delivered 9.67% for investors.
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If you’re looking to diversify your portfolio and add exposure to this country, without looking into specific stocks or companies, this ETF should be on your watch list.
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American depositary receipts
A foreign company can deposit some of its shares at a U.S. bank and list the certificates for these deposits on the local stock exchange. These special instruments are called American depositary receipts (ADRs) and they trade on the exchange like any other stock or ETF. This allows American investors to easily access foreign stocks.
Unfortunately, there are not many UAE ADRs on U.S. exchanges, but investors can look into Yalla Group (NYSE:YALLA) which is a mobile game developer based in Dubai, and Swvl Holdings (NASDAQ:SWVL), a tech-enabled ride sharing and transit management app.
Risks
The UAE is certainly an attractive opportunity for investors looking to boost growth and enhance diversification in their portfolios.
However, it’s also important to consider the risks. Beyond the usual market volatility and business risks, foreign investors also need to consider the impact of geopolitics and currencies. The United Arab Emirates dirham, the local currency, has been pegged to the U.S. dollar since 1997, so the currency risk is currently minimal. However, if the region decided to abandon this peg it could cause volatility for foreign investors.
Meanwhile, the country’s trade relations with China and Russia could put it at risk of U.S. sanctions and trade barriers, which could also impact foreign investors.
Investors looking to add exposure to this nation must weigh the potential rewards of economic growth against the risks.
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Vishesh Raisinghani is a financial journalist covering personal finance, investing and the global economy. He's also the founder of Sharpe Ascension Inc., a content marketing agency focused on investment firms. His work has appeared in Moneywise, Yahoo Finance!, Motley Fool, Seeking Alpha, Mergers & Acquisitions Magazine and Piggybank.
