Changer, an exclusive pan European club helps the wealthy to scale, opened in UAE. With the supporting voice of His Highness Ali Al Maktoum, member of the royal family, it aims to bring 20 unicorns to UAE and turn local Millionaires into powerful angel investors
There is no shortage of business clubs in Dubai. Changer is of a different breed, it brings to the UAE a model of developing intellectual capacity for ultra wealthy. The Club helps to envision the future, trains to become an investor in startups and deeply connects rare individuals from Europe and the Middle East at unforgettable receptions.
“We came to Dubai to give local wealth creators a bigger perspective.. We are bringing to world’s top calibre thinkers, New York Times Bestselling authors and Billionaires as keynotes to scale our members. At our first show in 2024, we welcomed oat Raffles Palm Dubai, world’s Nr.1 investor in Longevity Mr. Sergei Young, explaining which technologies will help to extend life up to 200 years” – said Mr. Jonas ROLO, a recently appointed Chairman of Changer Club in the Middle East, a senior executive in Ooredoo telecom, spending over a decade in the Gulf.
Emerging from the scenic landscape of Lausanne, Switzerland, Changer has quickly carved its niche as a hub for the smart ultra-high-net-worth. Club unites 220 members from 19 countries with a combined net worth exceeding €10 billion, with eighteen holding PhD grades. Changer is especially well known in Europe for its angel investing activities at late-stage startups in Europe and USA, with a portfolio exceeding 25 mln USD and growth of 100% per year despite market turmoil.
Swiss Club is not alone expanding to Dubai. Legendary Swiss private banks are flocking to the UAE too, following wealthy individuals of the world. Today Dubai is clearly overtaking Singapore, as UAE had the highest net influx of millionaires according to estimates by Henley & Partners, global citizenship by investment consultancy, adding 4,500 last year alone. It’s not a coincidence Swiss UBS bank already has more than 200 employees in Dubai, but Lombard Odier announced to double staff in the next three years.
Changer Club runs 12 high-profile shows per year in Europe, but four of them are scheduled in Dubai in 2024. This positioning allows Dubai’s intellectual business elite to unite into an impactful community while connecting to peers in Europe. There are already 22 members from UAE and Gulf countries. It aims to hit one hundred members from GCC by the end of 2024.
At the latest Changer session held at Raffles Palm, Mr. Dawoud Al Tamimi, a distinguished member of the TOP100 Arab Families according to Forbes, articulated the imperative for expeditious progression from an industrial to a knowledge economy. He underscored the Changer format’s significance,not only for Dubai’s esteemed community but also for the entire Gulf region’s elite.
Changer Club membership policy requires not only an annual fee of 10,000 USD, but a detailed reputation check, presence of at least 500,000 USD in liquid capital and two recommendations. There are two billionaires in the club.
With Changer stepping to Dubai, the city has just obtained another strong reason for global wealth creators to relocate to the UAE.
Published by: Nelly Chavez
