Expat Financial Planning · GCC & Middle East

Your tax-free income deserves a tax-efficient future.

You're earning well in the GCC. But are your savings working as hard as you are? As a qualified financial planner specialising in British and European expats, I help professionals across the Middle East build real, lasting wealth — before they return home.

Check My Retirement Outlook → Take the 5-Minute Quiz

What most expats are missing

Expats with a formal retirement plan 1 in 3

Average EoSG left unoptimised £45,000+

UK expats maintaining NI contributions Less than 25%

Expats with a valid cross-jurisdiction will Under 20%

Your tax-free window Right now

The expat challenge

Living tax-free is the advantage. Using it well is the skill.

No automatic state pension accumulation

UK and European expats in the GCC do not automatically build state pension entitlement while abroad. Every year overseas is a year your retirement income foundation may not be growing — unless you take deliberate action.

Currency, tax residency & repatriation risk

Savings held in AED, SAR or QAR eventually need to come home. Exchange rates, tax residency changes on your return, and offshore account rules can significantly erode wealth if not managed proactively and in advance.

The compounding window is finite

Your tax-free years are limited and extraordinarily valuable. Money invested properly now can compound for decades. Waiting even five years to start can cost hundreds of thousands in long-term returns.

Interactive retirement tool

Your retirement projection

Play with the numbers. See your financial picture update in real time.

Your current age 35

Target retirement age 60

Current savings & investments £50,000

Monthly contributions £1,500

Expected annual return 6%

Retirement income needed (monthly) £3,000

Projected pot at retirement

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Estimated monthly income (4% rule)

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Years to retirement

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Monthly surplus vs your goal

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This is an illustration only. A full financial plan accounts for End of Service Gratuity, tax residency on return, offshore wrappers, NI contributions, inheritance, and more.

Get a personalised plan →

5-minute financial health check

How financially prepared are you, really?

Ten questions. Honest answers. A personalised readiness score — and a clear picture of what to do next.

Question 1 of 10

Do you have a clear plan for what happens to your money when you eventually return home?

Yes — I have a detailed repatriation and tax strategy in place

I've thought about it, but nothing is formally structured yet

Honestly, I'll work it out when the time comes

Question 2 of 10

Are you actively investing your tax-free salary beyond your employer's savings scheme?

Yes — I have a diversified portfolio of international investments

I save regularly, but mostly in cash or bank deposits

My lifestyle here takes most of what I earn

Question 3 of 10

Do you have a valid will that covers your assets in both your home country and the GCC?

Yes — fully updated and legally valid in both jurisdictions

I have a will from home but haven't updated it since moving

I don't currently have a will

Question 4 of 10

How are you planning for retirement, knowing you won't receive a local state pension?

I have a SIPP or private pension and make regular investment contributions

I'm relying on cash savings, property back home, or inheritance

I haven't given this serious thought yet

Question 5 of 10

Do you have adequate life and critical illness protection in place as an expat?

Yes — expat-specific cover that protects my family wherever I am

I have some cover through my employer, but I'm not sure it's sufficient

I haven't arranged life cover since moving abroad

Question 6 of 10

Have you made a plan for your End of Service Gratuity when you eventually leave the GCC?

Yes — I have a structured investment plan ready for when I receive it

I have a rough idea but nothing formally in place

I haven't thought seriously about what to do with it

Question 7 of 10

Are you making voluntary UK National Insurance contributions while living abroad?

Yes — I'm actively topping up my NI record each year

I'm aware of it but haven't taken action yet

I didn't know I could, or hadn't considered it

Question 8 of 10

Do you have a clear understanding of your tax residency position and how it will change when you return home?

Yes — I understand the UK Statutory Residence Test and its implications

I have a general idea but haven't looked into the detail

I'm not sure how it works or what it means for my finances

Question 9 of 10

Do you have a strategy for managing currency risk on your savings and income?

Yes — I actively manage currency exposure across my savings

Some of my savings are in sterling, but it's not a formal strategy

All my savings are in local currency with no forward planning

Question 10 of 10

Do you have an emergency fund that would cover at least three to six months of expenses?

Yes — I have a dedicated, easily accessible emergency fund

I have some savings available but it's not specifically set aside

I don't have a dedicated emergency fund in place

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Receive a copy of your score and personalised breakdown to review at your leisure.

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For UK & European expats in the GCC

What you need to know

Key financial topics that affect every British and European professional in the Middle East.

End of Service Gratuity

Your EoSG is not a retirement plan — but it can become one

Under GCC labour law, most employees are entitled to a significant lump sum on leaving. Yet this is routinely held in cash, spent on repatriation, or taxed unnecessarily on return home. Properly structured, your EoSG can become the cornerstone of a long-term investment portfolio — but the window to plan is before you receive it.

UK Pension Planning

Most UK expats don't know they can still contribute to a SIPP abroad

You can contribute up to £3,600 per year to a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) even with no UK earnings, receiving basic rate tax relief. Maintaining pension contributions during your expat years — even at a modest level — can be transformational over time, thanks to compound growth inside a tax-efficient wrapper.

Returning Home

Re-establishing tax residency triggers events most expats don't anticipate

Returning to the UK or Europe is not just a lifestyle decision — it has major financial implications. Capital gains previously sheltered may become immediately taxable. Offshore investments may need restructuring. NI records may have gaps. Planning your return two to three years in advance can save a significant amount and protect accumulated wealth.

Offshore Investing

International investment wrappers can dramatically amplify your returns

As a GCC-based expat, you have access to offshore investment bonds and platforms not available to UK or EU residents — including tax-deferred growth wrappers holding a wide range of assets. Used correctly, these allow capital to grow without annual tax drag. This advantage disappears the moment you return home.

About me

Qualified. Regulated. And genuinely on your side.

I've spent over twenty years in financial services, and since 2022 I've extended my practice to help British and European expats across the Middle East take real control of their financial futures — alongside continuing to serve clients through my UK business.

The reason I do this isn't complicated: I've seen the damage that poor advice causes. Mis-sold products. Opaque charging structures. Financial plans built around commission rather than the client's actual interests. Good, hardworking people who trusted someone with their life savings — and paid a significant price for it. That picture is far too common across the GCC, and it's what drove me to build something different.

This website exists because I believe education comes first. Whether you go on to work with me professionally or choose to manage your own finances — I want you to leave here better informed than when you arrived. The tools, the quiz, the insights: they're here for you, with no strings attached.

When clients do choose to work with me, I always begin the same way: with a plan. Why are you saving? What is it actually for? When do you need it, and how much is truly enough? This clarity — understanding the purpose and destination of your money — is what my clients consistently tell me they value most.

“I'm here to support you beyond what any website can offer — with clarity, honesty, and advice that's built entirely around your life.”

Lee Gleave MCSI
Financial Planner

Book a free 30-minute call →

Qualifications & regulation

MCSI — Member, Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment

Member of the CII — Chartered Insurance Institute

SCA Regulated — Securities & Commodities Authority (UAE)

FCA Regulated — Financial Conduct Authority (UK)

20+ years in financial services

What clients say

Real feedback from people who have trusted me with their financial futures.

Lee is highly professional, knowledgeable, straight and honest. With his guidance I've reaped the benefits of his advice - and despite the challenges of COVID and Ukraine testing the financial markets, he's guided me through every phase with clarity and energy.

S. Watts

Gas Industry Professional & Farmer, UK

Lee is first and foremost a gentleman, and nothing is too much trouble. He explains why certain tactics should be adopted in easy layman's terms - allowing investors like me to understand the reasoning behind his planning. Having Lee as our financial adviser was one of the best decisions we have made.

D. Ash

Private Investor

I have known Lee for many years and he has always been available and ready to help with any questions. I have always trusted his judgement and advice with the way my portfolio has been performing.

T. Perry

Pension Client, UK

How I work

Simple, transparent, and always on your terms.

No jargon, no pressure, no surprises. Here's exactly what working with me looks like - from first conversation to a plan that's built around your life.

Free 30-minute discovery call

We meet online - no commitment, no agenda. I want to understand your situation and you get to decide whether I'm the right person to help. All meetings are held online initially, with face-to-face available in the UAE once we've connected.

Fact find & financial review

I take a thorough look at where you are - your savings, investments, protection, pension position, and goals. This is where I ask the questions most advisers never get around to: why are you saving, what is it for, and how much is truly enough?

Your bespoke financial plan

I build a detailed, personalised financial plan - covering retirement, investment strategy, protection, tax efficiency, and repatriation planning. This is a proper document built around your life, not a template. Delivered and walked through with you across 2–3 focused sessions.

Implementation & ongoing support

If you'd like to go further, I can implement the plan through fully regulated financial advice - managing investments, arranging protection, and providing ongoing reviews as your life and the markets evolve. This is an entirely optional next step.

Bespoke Financial Plan

£1,500

Fixed fee · No hidden charges

A comprehensive, fully personalised financial plan covering your retirement outlook, investment strategy, protection gaps, tax efficiency, and repatriation planning. Plan examples available upon request. No minimum net worth required.

Get started →

Option 2

Full Regulated Advice & Implementation

Plan + implementation + ongoing reviews

For clients with significant investable assets - minimum thresholds apply. Please enquire.

Everything in the financial plan, plus full regulated implementation - investments arranged, protection put in place, and ongoing annual reviews to keep your plan aligned with your life as it evolves.

Book a call →

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know

The questions I get asked most often - answered honestly.

Yes - I am fully regulated under the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) in the Middle East and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK. This means I am authorised to provide regulated financial advice to expats across the GCC, with full UK oversight for British clients.

Primarily I work with British expats, though I also work with European nationals living and working in the GCC. If you're unsure whether I'm the right fit for your situation, the free discovery call is the best place to find out - there's no obligation either way.

For a standalone financial plan (£1,500 fixed fee), there is no minimum net worth - the plan is valuable at any stage of your financial journey. For full regulated advice with implementation and ongoing management, minimum thresholds apply for clients with significant investable assets - please enquire directly.

The first call is 30 minutes, free, and completely without obligation. I'll ask about your current situation, your goals, and what's keeping you up at night financially. You'll also get the chance to ask me anything. At the end, we'll both have a clear sense of whether working together makes sense - and there's no pressure either way.

All initial meetings are held online, which works well for clients across the GCC and beyond. After that first conversation, face-to-face meetings are available for clients based in the UAE. For clients elsewhere in the region, we continue to meet online - which most clients find equally effective.

Most financial “advisers” operating across the GCC are not regulated in the traditional sense - they are salespeople earning commission on the products they recommend. I charge a transparent fixed fee for a plan, so my only incentive is to give you the best possible advice. I am dual-regulated under the SCA and FCA, and a Member of the CISI and CII. I've also seen first-hand what poor advice costs people - which is exactly why I built this practice differently.