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Mercer, the Investment Consulting ARM from the US service company Marsh & McLennan, expects her asset department to doubt its managed assets (AUM) in the Middle East, as the company continues to grow in the region despite the economic headwind.

Mercer Wealth, which has $ 160 billion on AUM worldwide, plans to increase its AUM in the region in the next 2-3 years from USD 1 billion to $ 2 to 3 billion, said Yasir Abusban, a seat in Dubai with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years we would like to achieve 2 to 3 billion US dollars as a conservative estimate and see an opportunity, ”said Abusban.

Mercer does not make investments directly, but distributes money to the customer that they have for professional asset managers of discretion. They also give the customer advice.

“We have a purchase power. We can negotiate with asset managers on behalf of your (customer) to provide you with lower fees than you would otherwise have to get alone,” he added.

Mercer Wealth customers include sovereign assets, family offices and insurance companies.

Mercer also takes care of Africa, India and Turkey from his office in Dubai, where they also see opportunities for growth.

The creation of prosperity in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) increased by $ 8.1 trillion from 6 percent in 2015 in 2015 and the second highest growth in a region according to the Asian-Pacific area, which, according to the consulting boston consultation (BCG), rose by 9.9 percent. In the region, in which the prosperity increased only by 1.9 percent compared to 2014, oil prices have helped to generate financial generation.

BCG predicts that MEA assets will rise to 12 ° C by 2021 and grows with an annual average of 8 percent.

According to the BCG, the drivers of wealth generation in the region are evenly divided into the creation of new assets and the growth of the performance of existing assets.

Another general trend in the region is, according to Mr. Absaban, a comprehensive approach for the investment approach.

“Institutional investors or some families see a slowdown of the available capital that they have to invest, and in this sense they want to optimize the way they manage their portfolios and ensure that they do not invest accident and work together various parts of their investment,” said Absaban.

Some customers also have a higher appetite for the risk, since some institutional investors do not offer enough return. These customers want to invest in illiquid assets such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is the desire for higher returns in an environment with a low return, especially in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have found that the risk of taking out things such as illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debts, we have increased illiquidity in gradual returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the greatest sovereign assets, said in its 2016 report, which increased its commitment to direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority's private equity department focused on structured shares based on “defense features”.