The golden eggs of investments

Europe is facing a delicate moment with the US's rapprochement with Russia and Trump's stance on the war in Ukraine.

At the same time, the climate crisis and the slowdown of European economies highlight the need to rethink traditional economic models.

The Arabian Gulf countries, particularly the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain – have shown how a long-term vision can transform economies. They saw the need to reduce dependence on oil, so they turned to areas such as technology, finance, tourism, renewable energy and infrastructure. This approach to innovation and expansion in the GCC has resulted in vibrant markets that are attractive to global investors.

One example of this dynamism is the UAE real estate sector, a sector that is very dear to Portuguese investors. Dubai and Abu Dhabi have become global hubs , attracting capital from all over the world, with innovative projects and an environment that is favourable to foreign investment.

Europe needs to find new models of wealth creation and good investments do not have to be unilateral.

Economic agents in Brazil, for example, in order to explore this scenario, decided to reconcile the appetite of Brazilian investors for external real estate markets (such as Miami, Lisbon and Dubai) with the need to support domestic agribusiness, creating an investment fund to interconnect the two markets – which allows Brazilian investors to invest money in Dubai real estate and investors from the Emirates to invest capital in Brazilian commodities .

In Portugal, new solutions for economic growth and investment would also be welcome, generating value for all parties involved. Investors need diversified applications for their savings and companies need new markets and growth routes.

Institutions such as AICEP and the Arab-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry play an important role in strengthening trade relations. But once the bridges have been built, it is necessary to create bonds of trust, which are as valuable as, if not more valuable than, money. And Arab culture has specificities that few are aware of, so after encouraging investment opportunities for companies and individuals, there is still a long way to go – and as the great Persian poet Rumi says in his Hidden Treasure, true value often lies where we least expect it.

The golden rule of any investment is to diversify and the variety of economic offerings in the GCC countries provides ample space for this, which is why investment funds and individual investors are already in the Gulf, attracted by the region's political stability and incentives.

There are no magical destinations for money, but in times of uncertainty, the golden eggs may be the eggs placed in baskets in different geographies around the world.

The author writes according to the old spelling.