Bas Kooijman, CEO and Asset Manager of DHF Capital S.A., sheds light on why the UAE could outperform a forecast by the International Monetary Fund which cites that the country’s real gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 4% in 2024. With COP28 currently underway in Dubai and witnessing a record number of 84,000 attendees, more than AED 1 trillion ($272 billion) has been pledged in green finance; Bas anticipates that this funding, which is set to be realized in its entirety by the end of the decade, will have an immediate impact on elevating the UAE’s economy.

With the nation focused on future-proofing its economy, several sustainable initiatives have been launched to accomplish this ambitious goal; including mandates such as UAE Net Zero 2050 and the Dubai 2040 Urban Masterplan. Furthermore, more recent announcements like the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) are serving to see an assortment of objectives achieved, including the development of an SME scale-up programme, while also bolstering talent, infrastructure, regulations, and overall operations. Paired together, strong economic progress could be seen as early as 2024.

Bas explained: “Despite concerns of a looming global recession, the UAE is better prepared than most – if not all – countries to withstand an economic downturn; and likely even thrive amidst it. This is largely due to its proactive efforts; from constantly updating reforms to continuously introducing forward-thinking initiatives and now the ongoing progress of COP28, the UAE’s excellence is on full display for the world to see and it will only attract further interest, investment, and migration to continue building on its already resounding success. Moreover, with sustainability taking centre stage in today’s world, the UAE’s willingness to lead the charge – most recently by playing host for COP – will help propel the economy further.”

Reinforcing the notion that the UAE is set to see strong economic performance in 2024 are the 557,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that were registered in the country at the end of last year. Given that SMEs contribute as much as 63.5% to the UAE’s non-oil GDP and represent approximately 95% of all enterprises in Dubai, D33 is complementing the growth of this segment to fuel the nation’s ambition of driving this number up to one million by 2030.

Bas’ securitisation firm, DHF Capital, provides advice and guidance to various individuals including those from SMEs across the UAE and Europe. Last month he spoke at Abu Dhabi Finance Week, where he got to engage with several SME investors from UAE enterprises to help bolster their strategies for the new year. With Bas at the helm, DHF has provided an annual average ROI of 23% since its inception. Additionally, investors who have worked with Bas since the company’s inception four years ago have witnessed a minimum average ROI of 86% and more than 48 consecutive months of positive returns to more than double their initial investment.