Why women investors are scarce in Mena’s financial markets

Only 10 per cent to 12 per cent of customers are women at our brokerage. That gap isn’t just a statistic – it’s a missed economic engine.

Across the Middle East and North Africa, women are launching businesses, running households and shaping purchasing decisions. Yet, too few are trading and investing – especially in the financial markets – where long-term wealth is compounded.

The good news: appetite exists. In Saudi Arabia, the number of women investing on the Tadawul stock market surpassed 1.74 million in the second quarter of 2025 – an all-time high and up sharply year on year, according to figures released by the Capital Market Authority.

That is not a niche; it’s momentum. In the UAE, women invested Dh118 billion ($32.1 billion) in Dubai real estate in 2024, representing about a third of all investors, according to the Dubai Land Department. This is evidence that when the asset class feels accessible and tangible, women show up in force.

For comparison, in the mature US market, women’s participation is mainstream, with roughly 62 per cent of US women reporting they own stocks (directly or through funds or retirement) – about the same rate as men, according to analytics company Gallup.

So, why hasn’t female participation in Mena's financial markets kept pace?

Part of the answer is education and access. Wealth manager UBS’s region-wide study finds many women want to engage, but 71 per cent report low familiarity with investment instruments like stocks and bonds, even as 62 per cent say they want more information and seek to become more active investors.

There’s also a uniquely UAE imperative to invest. For expatriates, who make up a large share of the workforce, there is no state pension. Instead, most rely on an end-of-service gratuity, a lump sum that’s rarely enough to fund decades of retirement.

The government has begun reform, introducing voluntary end-of-service savings schemes that invest contributions. This is welcome progress, but still optional to enrol in.

In other words, for many residents, your retirement depends on the investment portfolio you build for yourself.

If we want more women investing, we should also bust an enduring myth that men are naturally “better” at it. In fact, the evidence points the other way.

A large-scale analysis by financial services company Fidelity found that female investors, on average, outperformed their male counterparts by 0.4 percentage points per year, thanks to steadier, long-term behaviour – lower turnover and fewer panic trades. That compounds.

When women invest, families are more financially resilient, businesses gain patient capital and markets deepen. In a region rapidly diversifying beyond hydrocarbons, activating half the population as long-term investors is not just fair, it’s macro-critical.

How to get started (and stick with it)

1) Start with purpose, not products

Write down one primary goal (for instance, “retire at 60 with DhX per month”). Goals anchor behaviour when markets wobble.

Hold three to six months of essential expenses in cash or a money-market fund. This “sleep-well” buffer prevents selling investments at the worst time.

3) Automate a small, steady contribution

Set a standing monthly transfer into your portfolio (even Dh300 to Dh500). Automation beats motivation.

4) Keep costs low and diversify

Make bonds and broad, low-cost funds your core – regional and global equity index funds or exchange-traded funds, plus a bond fund if you want smoother swings. Add a Shariah-compliant option if that fits your values.

Invest the same amount on a schedule. You’ll buy more when prices are low and less when they’re high – no crystal ball required.

Behaviour – not brilliance – drives returns. Fewer, better-researched moves usually beat constant tinkering (and aligns with the performance edge women often show).

Track progress against your goal once a quarter.

Join women-led investing circles, webinars or mentorship groups. In the UBS study, demand for approachable education was clear; peer learning removes the intimidation factor.

If your employer offers a DIFC Employer Workplace Savings (Dews)-style or voluntary end-of-service savings plan, enrol and contribute. It’s a ready-made, diversified base – then layer a personal brokerage account on top.

Use a locally regulated broker, understand fees and opt into investor-protection features.

The momentum in Saudi Arabia’s markets and Dubai’s property data show the desire – and the capacity – are already here.

The next step is giving women the education, tools and confidence to build long-term, diversified portfolios. For many of us in the UAE, where a government pension won’t be waiting, that’s not just empowerment. It’s essential.

Joy Dabeet is chief marketing officer at neo-broker amana