With social distancing now the norm, holidaying on a private island could be one safe solution for those keen to get away.
For anyone with more than a bit of spare change in the bank, buying a private island would guarantee year-round holidays and sunshine served in stunning isolation.
One of the largest islands in the Bahamas has become the latest secluded paradise to hit the market and become top contender for a safe holiday hotspot for the world's elite.
Little Ragged Island, also known as St Andrew's, is one of the biggest private islands currently for sale in the Caribbean.
Located about 220 kilometres north of Cuba and 600km south-east of Miami, the island spans 295 hectares and is home to rolling hills and endless stretches of beaches, all surrounded by the blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Listed for $19.5 million, with no reserve price, the island is going under the hammer on March 26.
Bidders will need a $100,000 deposit to take part in the auction, which will result in a new owner of the southernmost island of the Caribbean's Ragged Island Chain.
Billed by Concierge Auctions as "a perfect blank canvas" for developers, the island has plenty of space to build a luxury resort, an 18-hole golf course, residential properties and still have land leftover.
With kilometres of beaches, freshwater ponds and forested hills, St Andrew's also comes with access to prime snorkelling and sailing grounds. On its eastern side, it also has deep water access, making it easy for yachts, superyachts and large ships to dock. And getting to the island by air is easy, too, as it's just a 10-minute boat ride away from the nearest private airstrip.
From the Maldives to the South Pacific: the world's most expensive private islands
If the Bahamas isn't your dream destination, but escaping the pandemic to a private island paradise still appeals, there are plenty of other secluded retreats up for grabs.
With asking prices up to an eye-watering $155m, here are 10 of the world's most expensive private islands for sale today.
- Vatuvara Private Islands, Fiji – $155m
- Private Island Paradise, Thailand – $153.8m
- Pumpkin Key, Florida, United States – $95m
- Long Caye private island, Belize – $75m
- Ifuru Resort, Raa Atoll, Maldives – $65m
- Spectabilis Island, Bahamas – $62m
- Cave Cay, Bahamas – $60m
- Water Cay Private Island, Turks and Caicos – $49m
- Motu Tane, French Polynesia – $39m
- Pakatoa Island, New Zealand – $35.9m
Click through the gallery above to find out more about each private island.
Whether you fancy your own islet in the Maldives, are craving an 44.5ha retreat off the coast of Thailand or want to unwind in French Polynesian waters, if you have the capital then the world's island real estate market likely has the perfect spot for you.
And for the rest of us, there's nothing like a spot of island-induced daydreaming or paradise musing to get you through another week at home.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in 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 equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
