When Volatility Hits, Credibility Is Critical Currency

But if there's one thing 20 years of operating a business in Abu Dhabi has taught me, it's that strong fundamentals always come out on top of crises.

The headlines have been busy lately. Some international media have asked whether the Gulf is still safe for investment.

My answer is informed not by recent events but by two decades of growing a business in a region that's seen more than its fair share of crises. And my experience is not unique. Many who have set up in the UAE have seen what I've seen: that when the world panics, the UAE does not.

We can see this steady leadership in practice today. President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, leads with calm, clarity, and a deep connection with his people. And that presence is felt on the ground. When leadership is composed, confidence flows – across boardrooms, in our homes, along hospital wards.

That's something I've seen at close quarters in recent days, meeting hundreds of healthcare workers in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah, Al Dhafra, and Dubai, who come from more than 84 nationalities, and each with a unique lived experience. Yet it struck me how consistent they have been in their response to recent events: uniformly resolute and confident. Confident in the resilience of this country, in the strength of its institutions, and in their ability to continue caring for others regardless of what's going on around them.

These are people whose trust has been earned by a nation that does not posture, but rather leads with patience and a quiet confidence in the fundamentals that have, over 50 years, cultivated its reputation as a haven for people and businesses. A nation that knows the difference between noise and signal.

Recognising that difference speaks loudly to international investors. They know that smart capital is cool-headed. They know that a market's consistency is its strength and its record is its currency.

If we look at the UAE's record, we can see why FDI inflows rose to $45.5 billion in the four years after the Covid-19 pandemic, and why it's ranked tenth in the UNCTAD World Investment Report 2025.

It's a country that's continued to deliver stability: recovering quickly after the Global Financial Crisis, achieving 4.2% GDP growth in 2011; clocking one of the world's highest vaccination rates in the pandemic, becoming one of only seven countries to achieve 100%; and maintaining sovereign credit ratings, most recently receiving AA/A-1+ from S&P Global in March 2026.

But perhaps the greatest endorsement of stability is not capital inflows, but rather human capital inflows. I'm not just talking about HNWIs, but families, economic migrants who believe if they work hard, this country will give them the space to build.

This was certainly true for me when I arrived. I felt that this was a place where belief and effort were rewarded; where I was able to build an organisation of over 100 assets and 14,000 people caring for over 7 million patient visits.

But when I look back, there's something deeper at play here. The fact the companies are able to pursue their mission and vision here is indicative of a leadership who does what a government should – serve its people.

It's not a coincidence that the UAE has built one of the world's most capable healthcare systems, ranking first regionally and 20th globally for healthcare quality. By 2029, healthcare spending is projected to top $41 billion.

Neither is it an accident that despite the pressure on national supply chains and infrastructure, hospitals like ours have continued functioning normally with patient services uninterrupted.

That's because the country prioritises what's important to its people. So much so that health and wellbeing have become a pillar of national identity. And it's not the only pillar – security, opportunity, conviction. There are many, and each one upholds one of the most competitive and resilient value propositions in the world.

But for most investors in the UAE, the strongest, most appealing fundamental of all is credibility – earned over five decades of disciplined nation-building.

So, while capital may indeed be flighty when volatility arrives, let's also remember that in the end, headlines fade where fundamentals don't. Most investors continue to trade in credibility, and by that measure, the UAE's balance sheet is as solid as they come.

The writer is Founder and Chairman of Burjeel Holdings.

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