The survey, which polled more than 100 high-net-worth individuals in the GCC region last month, showed that 30% of them expect commodities to be the most common investment in 2012, with FX the next highest on 28%. The high-net-worth individuals who answered came from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. “In recent months, we have been conscious of a shift in investor sentiment towards FX and commodities given the consistent growth in trading volumes,” says Philippe Ghanem, managing director of ADSS. “When we consider the challenges facing real estate, equities, fixed income and mutual funds, we shouldn’t be surprised smart investors are opting for asset classes that produce the returns they are looking for even in volatile market conditions.”
Since launching eight months ago, ADSS has reported rapid growth, with trading volumes rising month-on-month since inception and the company anticipates strong growth to continue this year.