DUBAI: On the eve of Britain’s upcoming EU referendum vote, financial planning firm Guardian Wealth Management (GWM) has outlined how expatriates in the Middle East can safeguard their investments regardless of the outcome.
With polls indicating that Thursday’s vote will be a close call, uncertainty has hit the value of Britain’s equity, property and currency markets, all potentially impacting expatriates with investments in the UK.
GWM’s senior executives have outlined a range of investment tactics to follow in the event of both stay or leave votes, with forward planning key to a positive financial outcome.
“This is one of the closest votes in the UK’s history and that has left much uncertainty when it comes to investments and finances,” said Hamzah Shalchi, regional manager, Guardian Wealth Management.
“Investors may be unsure of exactly how their finances will be affected, but the key is to prepare either way so people are not left short after the vote.”
Vote Leave
Although UK investments will feel the heat in both results, it will be more so in the event of an exit and financials will be at the forefront as their regulation at present is highly dependent on EU law, says GWM.
The company warns that if the outcome of the referendum is Vote Leave then sterling selloff on the stock market is highly likely, with the pound potentially losing a third of its value.
Advice: GWM advises expatriates with investments heavily weighted to UK stocks to look at moving into cash to minimize potential losses. Monthly savers with long-term investment plans will unlikely be affected so they should carry on with what they are already doing. In fact, Vote Leave may even be beneficial because they will get cheaper units in the ensuing months, this creates dollar cost averaging.
Vote Remain
Although staying within the EU will surely increase confidence among expatriate investors, there will likely be some trade and trust issues within Europe, according to GWM.
Advice: GWM advises people to implement a solid strategy to ensure they have a well diversified portfolio. Portfolios with portions allocated to low risk assets have proven to weather even the most market impacting events, as well as equities that deliver a greater tendency for higher returns over the long term.
Another positive is that if the UK chooses to stay in it will outperform Europe in the markets due to underperformance over the past year; therefore a Vote Remain result is a great time to invest in UK shares.
Investment tips for all expatriates regardless of the vote: Do not invest anything over the next four days, sit on your cash and wait for the results; people who have already invested should be locking in their profits to make sure they are no longer exposed to risks; be ready to make decisions quickly and communicate more than normal with your IFA or broker; and do not speculate in the currency market for the next two weeks as it is too risky and you can easily be caught on the wrong side.
Shalchi concludes: “No one can really say which way things will go in the vote on June 23; however, the most important advice expatriates can take on board is to keep informed and keep on top of their investments, rather than burying their head in the sand and seeing the financial impact in months or years to come.”
How expats can safeguard their investments in uncertain times
How expats can safeguard their investments in uncertain times
First EU–Saudi roundtable on critical raw materials reflects shared policy commitment
RIYADH: The EU–Saudi Arabia Business and Investment Dialogue on Advancing Critical Raw Materials Value Chains, held in Riyadh as part of the Future Minerals Forum, brought together senior policymakers, industry leaders, and investors to advance strategic cooperation across critical raw materials value chains.
Organized under a Team Europe approach by the EU–GCC Cooperation on Green Transition Project, in coordination with the EU Delegation to Saudi Arabia, the European Chamber of Commerce in the Kingdom and in close cooperation with FMF, the dialogue provided a high-level platform to explore European actions under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act and ResourceEU alongside the Kingdom’s aspirations for minerals, industrial, and investment priorities.
This is in line with Saudi Vision 2030 and broader regional ambitions across the GCC, MENA, and Africa.
ResourceEU is the EU’s new strategic action plan, launched in late 2025, to secure a reliable supply of critical raw materials like lithium, rare earths, and cobalt, reducing dependency on single suppliers, such as China, by boosting domestic extraction, processing, recycling, stockpiling, and strategic partnerships with resource-rich nations.
The first ever EU–Saudi roundtable on critical raw materials was opened by the bloc’s Ambassador to the Kingdom, Christophe Farnaud, together with Saudi Deputy Minister for Mining Development Turki Al-Babtain, turning policy alignment into concrete cooperation.
Farnaud underlined the central role of international cooperation in the implementation of the EU’s critical raw materials policy framework.
“As the European Union advances the implementation of its Critical Raw Materials policy, international cooperation is indispensable to building secure, diversified, and sustainable value chains. Saudi Arabia is a key partner in this effort. This dialogue reflects our shared commitment to translate policy alignment into concrete business and investment cooperation that supports the green and digital transitions,” said the ambassador.
Discussions focused on strengthening resilient, diversified, and responsible CRM supply chains that are essential to the green and digital transitions.
Participants explored concrete opportunities for EU–Saudi cooperation across the full value chain, including exploration, mining, and processing and refining, as well as recycling, downstream manufacturing, and the mobilization of private investment and sustainable finance, underpinned by high environmental, social, and governance standards.
From the Saudi side, the dialogue was framed as a key contribution to the Kingdom’s industrial transformation and long-term economic diversification agenda under Vision 2030, with a strong focus on responsible resource development and global market integration.
“Developing globally competitive mineral hubs and sustainable value chains is a central pillar of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s industrial transformation. Our engagement with the European Union through this dialogue to strengthen upstream and downstream integration, attract high-quality investment, and advance responsible mining and processing. Enhanced cooperation with the EU, capitalizing on the demand dynamics of the EU Critical Raw Materials Act, will be key to delivering long-term value for both sides,” said Al-Babtain.
Valere Moutarlier, deputy director-general for European industry decarbonization, and directorate-general for the internal market, industry, entrepreneurship and SMEs at European Commission, said the EU Critical Raw Materials Act and ResourceEU provided a clear framework to strengthen Europe’s resilience while deepening its cooperation with international partners.
“Cooperation with Saudi Arabia is essential to advancing secure, sustainable, and diversified critical raw materials value chains. Dialogues such as this play a key role in translating policy ambitions into concrete industrial and investment cooperation,” she added.
