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Private Banks

Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management

Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management in the UAE: a DFSA-regulated DIFC presence, private markets access, and what to ask before you commit.

Last reviewed: Next review due: February 2027

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Summary

Goldman Sachs, founded in 1869 and headquartered in New York, reported preliminary firm-wide assets under supervision of $4,097 billion at 30 September 2026, including $491 billion in alternative investments. Its Private Wealth Management business describes serving ultra-high net worth families and individuals, with a 1:25 adviser-to-client ratio, according to its EMEA website.

In the UAE, Goldman Sachs International is authorised and regulated by the DFSA in the DIFC, and its regional materials are intended only for market counterparties and professional clients, not retail clients. Its Dubai office serves families, entrepreneurs and institutions across the Gulf region. Goldman Sachs International also has an Abu Dhabi branch in ADGM, authorised by the FSRA in May 2023. In October 2025 it launched an onshore private wealth presence in Riyadh and said it was actively hiring private wealth advisers in the Middle East.

Pros

  • DFSA-regulated presence in the DIFC, plus an ADGM branch in Abu Dhabi
  • A 1:25 adviser-to-client ratio, according to Goldman Sachs
  • Access to public and private markets, including private assets and hedge funds

Cons

  • Goldman says its DIFC materials are intended only for professional clients and market counterparties, so ask whether you would need to be classed as a Professional Client and which protections would then apply
  • Several Goldman affiliates provide its services, and AES found no published UAE booking information (checked November 2026), so ask which entity would hold your assets
  • No published fee schedule for international private wealth clients found (checked November 2026)

Key facts at a glance

Checked on 10 November 2026 against the sources listed at the end of this review.

Fact Detail
Official website Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management, Dubai
UAE presence Goldman Sachs International, DIFC, authorised and regulated by the DFSA; ADGM branch authorised by the FSRA in May 2023
Client type DIFC materials intended only for market counterparties and professional clients, not retail clients
Client service Ultra-high net worth families and individuals; 1:25 adviser-to-client ratio (Goldman Sachs)
Investment platform Public and private markets, including private assets, hedge funds, real assets and money markets
Fees No published schedule for international private wealth clients found
Recent changes Oct 2025: onshore private wealth presence launched in Riyadh; said it was actively hiring private wealth advisers in the Middle East

If you live in the UAE: what to look at before you sign

Goldman Sachs serves UAE clients from the DIFC through Goldman Sachs International, whose materials there are intended only for professional clients and market counterparties, and it says several affiliates provide its services, including Goldman Sachs Bank AG in Zurich. Ask which entity would hold your assets, where they would be booked, which law and protections would apply, and what the professional client classification means for the protections you give up.

Ask for the all-in annual cost in writing, including the fees on any private market or hedge fund investments, and for the share of the portfolio in Goldman's own products.

Questions worth asking any private bank:

  1. Which entity and booking centre will hold my assets, and which regulator and compensation scheme apply?
  2. What is my all-in annual cost, in money and as a percentage, including fund charges, FX spreads and product fees?
  3. How much of the portfolio will be in the bank's own funds or products?
  4. How is my private banker paid, and does that pay depend on what I buy or borrow?
  5. What happens to the relationship if I leave the UAE?

Ask for the answers in writing. They make any two offers directly comparable, and show how well each fits your plan.

Our view

Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management is built for ultra-high net worth families, and it serves the Gulf from Dubai, with a DFSA-regulated presence in the DIFC and a branch in Abu Dhabi. Its stated 1:25 adviser-to-client ratio and its access to private markets are, in AES's view, its most distinctive features.

The questions are about structure and alignment. Goldman Sachs says it acts as an investment adviser or as a broker depending on the relationship, and that several of its affiliates provide services, so ask which role and which entity would apply to you, where your assets would be booked, and what share of a portfolio would be in Goldman's own funds and alternatives. AES found no published fee schedule for international private wealth clients, so ask for the all-in cost in writing, including the fees on any private market investments.

In AES's view, access is the attraction. Before you commit, be clear which Goldman entity you would be dealing with, in which role, and at what total cost.

In AES's view, a plan that coordinates your investments, structures, pensions and succession needs advice that is built around you. It is worth asking how any bank's recommendations fit that wider plan, and where conflicts could arise.

If you already bank with Goldman Sachs, or are considering doing so, a no-obligation AES Second Opinion can examine how the overall arrangement fits your financial plan, including its investment approach, costs and structure.

FAQs

  • Does Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management have an office in Dubai?
    • Yes. Its Dubai office serves families, entrepreneurs and institutions across the Gulf region (Goldman Sachs), and Goldman Sachs International is authorised and regulated by the DFSA in the DIFC (Goldman Sachs).
  • Who can use Goldman Sachs in the DIFC?
    • Goldman Sachs says its DIFC materials are intended only for market counterparties and professional clients, not retail clients (Goldman Sachs). Ask what being classed as a professional client would mean for the protections that apply to you.
  • Does Goldman Sachs have an office in Abu Dhabi?
    • Yes. Goldman Sachs International has an ADGM branch, authorised by the FSRA in May 2023 (ADGM).
  • What can Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management invest in?
    • Goldman Sachs describes a platform covering public and private markets, including private assets, hedge funds, real assets and money markets, and says it acts as an investment adviser or as a broker depending on the relationship (Goldman Sachs).
  • What does Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management charge?
    • As at November 2026, AES found no published fee schedule for international private wealth clients. Ask for the all-in annual cost of your proposed portfolio in writing, including fees on any private market or hedge fund investments.

Sources

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