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Position

Partner

Head of department

Index

UHNW Wealth Managers

Wealth Managers - Middle East

Location

Dubai

Advice type

Investment management

Portfolio management

Wealth management

Client type

UHNW

Sector Focus

Financial Services

Investments and Asset Management

Wealth Management & Private Banking

Geographical focus

Middle East

Ali-Abbas Merali

Spear’s Review

Ali-Abbas Merali is a partner and head of the investment solutions group in Azura Partners’ Middle East office, working alongside Middle East CEO Mohamed Virani.

The Dubai outpost has been thriving since opening in 2021, Merali says, and has further benefited from Abu Dhabi-based alternative investment manager Lunate’s involvement. (Lunate, which has more than $115 billion in assets under management, acquired a stake in the firm in 2025.)

Being ‘in front of clients’ and providing them with ‘solutions that are best suited for the time’ are core to Merali’s investment ethos, and he is an avid proponent of using technology for information sifts in order to remain delivering top-quality client service.

Before joining Azura Partners, Merali held UHNW client-facing positions at Julius Baer, Standard Chartered, HSBC and Citi.

Adviser Profile

Ali-Abbas Merali is a partner at Azura Partners and is based in Dubai.

With over 20 years of experience, Ali-Abbas has worked with UBS, Citigroup, HSBC and Julius Baer. During his tenure at Julius Baer from 2014 to 2021, Ali-Abbas held the role of head of key clients EMEA. He achieved recognition as being among the top 20 global performers in the organisation.

‘With over $3.1 trillion in assets under management, family offices are becoming a major force in private wealth, shaping investment strategies and influencing markets worldwide. At Azura Partners we specialise in guiding investors through this shifting landscape, offering bespoke solutions across both private and public markets,’ Ali-Abbas says.

Rank: Recommended

Recommended 2026, UHNW Wealth Managers

Address

ICD Brookfield Place, Level 36, Dubai, 506802, United Arab Emirates

Website

azura.com

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