A Bloomberg Billionaires Index analysis published on 4–5 October 2026 estimates that roughly $160 billion of combined wealth belonging to UK billionaires and ultra-high-net-worth residents has either left Britain or significantly loosened its ties with the country over the past two years. The National quantifies the same picture at £120 billion using sterling. The main destinations named in the analysis are the United Arab Emirates, Monaco, Switzerland, Italy, Greece and Denmark.
For international founders and investors watching the UAE as a relocation and structuring hub, this is not an abstract UK news item. The country is now consistently in the top three destinations named by Bloomberg's dataset. Below is what the UAE actually offers to this segment and how it maps onto the tools Garant's clients already use.
What the Bloomberg analysis shows
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which Bloomberg maintains on the basis of publicly disclosed assets, roughly half of the recorded UK billionaire relocations were completed before April 2025 — the date on which the non-domiciled resident tax regime changes announced in the Spring Budget 2024 came into effect. The remainder are still in progress: selling assets, changing tax residency, moving family offices.
Among the publicly named individuals linked to departures from the UK, Bloomberg cites Lakshmi Mittal (ArcelorMittal), Nassef Sawiris (Orascom) and Shravin Bharti Mittal (Bharti Global). The full list is wider — the analysis covers dozens of ultra-wealthy families.
HM Treasury figures quoted in the Bloomberg and The National reports put the top 1% of taxpayers at roughly 27% of UK income tax revenue. That is the sensitivity of the story for the British budget: even a few dozen departing families leave a visible dent in the revenue base.
Why the UAE is in the top three
The UAE has traditionally attracted HNW migration for a set of structural reasons that Bloomberg and specialist advisors (Henley & Partners, UBS) have in recent years rated as among the most competitive in the world:
- No personal income tax. Regardless of amount or source — salary, dividends, capital gains, rental income — personal income of a UAE resident is not subject to federal personal income tax.
- 9% corporate tax on profits above AED 375,000. For free zones, where Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions are met, a 0% rate on qualifying income is preserved.
- Golden Visa. A 10-year residency visa with no requirement to be tied to an employer. HNW qualify through investment and property thresholds — including real estate from AED 2 million (from 2026 this now accepts mortgages and off-plan when criteria are met). See Golden Visa 2026 changes.
- Family office in DIFC or ADGM. Both financial hubs provide dedicated Single Family Office and Multi-Family Office regimes under English common law, with independent courts and regulators (DFSA in DIFC, FSRA in ADGM). See free zone comparison, including DIFC and ADGM.
- A dense double-tax treaty network — over 140 countries, covering most key jurisdictions in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
How HNW typically structure the move
The scenarios Garant and partner advisors see on inbound requests through 2025–2026 generally fall into a few standard patterns. These are not templates — they are reference points for an initial scoping conversation.
Scenario 1 — personal residency plus operating company. The HNW obtains a Golden Visa (most often through real estate, a business stake purchase, or a high monthly income threshold), registers an operating company in a free zone (DMCC, IFZA, Meydan) and shifts the main working activity to the UAE. The family office can stay in the original jurisdiction until asset volume makes a move economically justified.
Scenario 2 — a holding structure in DIFC or ADGM. For wealth with a complex asset mix — operating business, portfolio investments, real estate in multiple countries, fund stakes — a holding in DIFC or ADGM is typical. These jurisdictions run on common law, have their own courts and provide full access to UAE banks and regional capital markets.
Scenario 3 — a Single Family Office. For wealth above a conventional threshold of around $50 million, a separate licensed family-wealth management structure, with staff, an investment committee and AML/KYC policies, becomes appropriate. DIFC and ADGM both deliver this as a licensed entity with clear regulatory boundaries.
What this means for inbound capital into the UAE
No official total of UK wealth that has actually landed in the UAE is published — Bloomberg estimates the outflow from the UK and lists destinations, but does not break the share down by country. Even so, the background data — rising Golden Visa issuance, more active DIFC and ADGM registrations, growing premium Dubai property transactions — is consistent with a picture in which the UAE captures a meaningful share of this flow.
For the services industry (banks, law firms, corporate service providers, premium real estate developers, management consultants) this is another growth year. For established companies and investors it is both a competitive and a partnership context: the market for services is growing, but so is the depth of client expertise.
A short checklist for those considering the move
- Review tax residency status in the current country and the rules for exiting it.
- Identify which UAE visa fits the profile (Golden Visa 10 years / Green Visa 5 years / investor visa).
- Choose a jurisdiction for the operating or holding company: free zone (DMCC/IFZA/Meydan) for straightforward structures, DIFC/ADGM for complex and regulated ones.
- Open a corporate bank account — typical timeframe in 2026 is 4 to 8 weeks with full documentation.
- Align the asset structure with current CRS/economic substance rules and UAE corporate tax.
An HNW relocation is not a single operation but a sequence of decisions over anywhere from several months to two years. The earlier tax residency, corporate structure and operating model are worked out, the lower the cross-jurisdictional risk and the more predictable the final effective tax rate.
