Over 85% of UAE investors upbeat about economy

Over 85% of UAE investors upbeat about economy

Investors in the UAE are increasingly becoming confident about economic perspectives in the region with 85 per cent expressing optimism for the current year, according to a new Investor Sentiment survey unveiled by a leading Swiss bank.

While opinions are split on when life will return to normal in the Middle East, a slight majority of 51 per cent think normal activity will resume before July 2021, while 49 per cent of those surveyed believe it will not happen until the second half of the year, according to UBS's survey. The survey polled more than 4,000 investors and business owners across 14 markets globally in late December and January.

The confidence level among investors globally are also on the rise, with a majority of them optimistic about their regional economic outlook and the equity markets.

Investors in the UAE investors singled out Covid-19 (63 per cent), followed by climate change (56 per cent) and fear of a market downturn (55 per cent) as their top concerns.

Echoing the widespread concern of the uncertainty, a record nine out of 10 investors in the UAE said they needed more expert financial advice than ever.