A Broader Investment Mindset
More women are stepping forward with a clear interest in managing their wealth and shaping their financial future. According to the UBS report “Women and Investing: Reimagining Wealth Advice”, which surveyed women across MENA to understand how they approach investment, advice, and long-term planning, 62% of women expressed a desire to learn more about investing. Nearly four in ten are already exploring private markets, which is an encouraging sign that the appetite for asset classes beyond traditional vehicles is growing.[2]
This shift shows that women are becoming more deliberate in how they invest. Rather than defaulting to conventional paths, women are increasingly seeking strategies that balance long-term growth with resilience. What many still lack, however, is access to the kind of structured, personalized guidance that turns interest into action, particularly when it comes to asset classes like private equity, private credit, and real assets that require deeper understanding and specialized access.
Bridging the Gap Between Interest and Action
As more women seek to shape their financial future, one thing is clear: the interest is there, but the pathway isn’t always visible. While 62% of women in the region want to learn how to invest, fewer than half rate their investment knowledge as medium or high. Many still turn first to informal sources, like family, friends, or online content, before engaging with professional advisors. Nearly half also cite limited access to financial education as a key barrier.[3]
This disconnect points to an ecosystem that hasn’t yet adapted to meet the evolving needs of women investors. Cultural norms, lack of tailored tools, and insufficient exposure to strategic financial planning are just some of the factors holding back deeper engagement, not a lack of potential or ambition.
Encouragingly, that’s beginning to change. Family businesses are gradually involving daughters and female relatives in governance and succession. And in markets like Saudi Arabia, Vision 2030 is not only opening new economic doors but also normalizing women’s participation in investment decisions, both as inheritors and as independent wealth owners.
Top Barriers Faced by Women Investors
Despite rising interest and wealth ownership, many women continue to face challenges that limit full participation in investment decision-making. According to the UBS report, key barriers include:
Limited Financial Education: Nearly half of women surveyed cited a lack of investment education as a major hurdle, particularly regarding how to evaluate and manage more complex asset classes like private markets.
Reliance on Informal Sources: Many women still seek advice from friends, family, or online content before turning to professional advisors, often due to trust gaps or lack of access.
Low Confidence in Investment Knowledge: Fewer than 50% rated their investment knowledge as medium or high, reflecting a confidence gap even among financially active women.
Cultural and Social Norms: In some settings, financial decision-making is still viewed as a male-dominated domain, making it harder for women to initiate investment conversations or seek professional guidance.
Lack of Access to the Right Opportunities: Interest in asset classes like private equity and women-led businesses is growing, yet many women report limited access to these channels.
Absence of Tailored, Trusted Advice: Many investment platforms are not designed with women’s goals, preferences, or communication styles in mind, leading to disengagement even among capable and motivated individuals.
Redefining What Women Want from Wealth Partners
As women gain financial influence, they’re also reshaping expectations of what an advisor should be. It’s not about flashy products or superficial campaigns; it’s about meaningful partnerships grounded in trust, transparency, and long-term alignment.
Many women want more than just portfolio performance. They want to understand how their investments connect to their values, support their goals, and contribute to something bigger. According to UBS, nearly 70% of women would invest in women-led businesses if they had access to them, which is a clear indication that purpose matters.
What’s often missing isn’t willingness, but the right channels, tools, and conversations. Advisors who can meet women where they are, building on what they already know and offering advice that truly fits their goals, have an opportunity to build deeper, more enduring relationships.
Turning Momentum into Meaningful Progress
At The Family Office, we’ve seen this shift unfold up close. For over two decades, we’ve worked with clients across the region, including women who manage family wealth, plan for their children’s future, or build lasting legacies through entrepreneurship. Our role goes beyond managing capital. It’s about helping clients gain clarity, confidence, and control over their financial journey, no matter their background or starting point.
We understand that many women are not looking for just financial returns; they’re seeking trusted relationships, purposeful strategies, and tools that help them take charge of their financial journey. For those navigating limited access to advice, unfamiliarity with private markets, or low confidence in financial planning, we’ve built an approach that addresses these exact needs.
This commitment led to the development of our digital solutions, designed to give investors the tools to define their financial goals, track their progress, and access private market opportunities once limited to institutions. It reflects a new era of wealth management, one that responds to investors' changing needs and helps turn ambition into action.
As the region enters a period of historic intergenerational wealth transfer, the rise of women as wealth owners and decision-makers will only accelerate. The opportunity now is not just to preserve wealth, but to grow it with purpose. That requires thoughtful guidance, access to the right opportunities, and relationships built on alignment, not assumptions.
Women have always shaped the financial story, sometimes quietly, often behind the scenes. Today, they’re taking their place at the forefront. Not as a passing trend, but as a permanent force in the future of wealth.
