For nearly two decades, Mohit Gaba built his career between Citibank’s trading floors and Bloomberg TV’s studios, where he dissected market movements for a global audience. Now he’s trading the television lights for a director’s chair at Klay Capital Ltd., the Dubai-based boutique wealth firm that’s quietly expanding its multi-family office platform.
The appointment, confirmed this week, places Gaba at the centre of Klay Group’s investment advisory operations. He’ll report directly to Achal Aroura, who heads the firm’s multi-family office division—a growing segment of the wealth management industry that caters to ultra-high-net-worth families seeking alternatives to traditional private banking.
Gaba’s trajectory reads like a masterclass in financial services versatility. After completing his MBA at Singapore’s S.P. Jain School of Global Management, he joined Citibank N.A. in Dubai, cutting his teeth on both buy-side and sell-side operations. The years that followed saw him navigate senior advisory roles across family offices and investment firms throughout the Gulf region, building expertise in portfolio construction, risk management, and execution across equities, foreign exchange, and derivatives.
But it was his stint as a Bloomberg TV contributor that gave him visibility beyond the region’s wealth management circles. Sharing market views and tactical investment strategies with a global investor audience, he became a recognisable voice during volatile trading sessions.
At Klay Capital, his mandate extends well beyond traditional advisory work. He’ll focus on strengthening the firm’s investment proposition, developing its private banking advisory business, and working alongside relationship managers on the granular details of portfolio construction and asset allocation. The role also encompasses foreign exchange and derivatives strategy, hedging solutions, and what the firm describes as investment idea generation—all while navigating the compliance frameworks that govern client suitability and risk.
The hire arrives as Dubai cements its position as a family office hub, with wealthy families increasingly seeking independent advisory platforms that sit outside the large private banking structures. Multi-family offices—which serve multiple wealthy families under one roof—have proliferated across the Emirates, offering bespoke investment solutions without the perceived conflicts of interest that come with product-driven banking models.
“Mohit brings deep experience across investment advisory, portfolio management and market execution, with a strong understanding of the needs of sophisticated clients,” Aroura noted. “His appointment further strengthens our in-house advisory capabilities and supports our focus on delivering disciplined, high-quality investment solutions across our multi-family office platform.”
The emphasis on in-house capabilities matters in this market. While many boutique wealth firms rely heavily on external managers and packaged products, Klay Group positions itself as a provider of independent advice backed by internal expertise. For ultra-high-net-worth clients—those with investable assets typically exceeding $30 million—that independence translates to portfolios built around specific family objectives rather than institutional priorities.
Gaba’s experience spans the full spectrum of multi-asset portfolios, with particular strength in equities and tactical investment strategies. His background in disciplined asset allocation will prove crucial as wealthy families navigate an environment marked by geopolitical uncertainty, shifting interest rate expectations, and evolving regulatory landscapes across multiple jurisdictions.
The move also reflects a broader pattern within the Gulf’s wealth management industry, where experienced professionals from global banking giants are migrating to boutique platforms. These smaller firms offer the promise of closer client relationships, greater autonomy in investment decisions, and compensation structures tied more directly to client outcomes than product sales.
For Gaba, the transition from Citibank’s institutional machinery and Bloomberg’s broadcast reach to Klay Capital’s boutique model represents a calculated shift. “Klay Capital’s focus on independent advice, strong investment governance and client outcomes aligns closely with my own approach,” he said. “I look forward to working with the team to deliver well-structured portfolios and actionable investment strategies for clients.”
Klay Group operates across four core verticals: wealth management, multi-family office services, asset management, and corporate advisory. The firm serves ultra-high-net-worth families and institutions, though it remains deliberately discreet about the size of its client base and assets under advisory—a common trait among boutique wealth platforms that prioritise privacy over public profile.
The timing of Gaba’s appointment coincides with what industry observers describe as a maturation phase for Dubai’s wealth management sector. As the emirate attracts more family offices—drawn by favourable tax treatment, geographic proximity to emerging markets, and robust financial infrastructure—competition for experienced advisory talent has intensified.
Whether Klay Capital’s expanded advisory capabilities translate into measurable growth will depend partly on Gaba’s ability to convert his market expertise and media profile into client confidence. But for now, the firm has secured a director whose experience bridges institutional finance, independent advisory, and public market commentary—a combination increasingly valued in a wealth management landscape where clients demand both technical sophistication and clear communication.
The question facing Dubai’s boutique wealth platforms is whether they can scale their operations while maintaining the bespoke service that justifies their existence. For Klay Capital, hiring someone with Gaba’s credentials suggests they’re willing to invest in expertise as they navigate that tension.
