Bulldozer Group is investing just over $55 million to expand its luxury hospitality empire across Europe and the Middle East, betting on a fundamental shift in where the world’s wealthy choose to live as the company pivots beyond its restaurant roots into wellness ventures.
The group, which operates more than 30 restaurants globally, including around 15 in Dubai alone, is launching ambitious new concepts from Paris to the Gulf as high-net-worth individuals increasingly relocate from traditional Western financial centres to emerging hubs in the East.
“Global wealth is becoming more fluid, and we’re seeing a significant migration of high-net-worth individuals, particularly toward dynamic, opportunity-rich cities like Dubai,” Alexander Orlov, founder and chief executive of Bulldozer Group, told Arabian Business.
“We’re not just following the wealth, we’re building the environments it thrives in.”
The expansion comes as the company ventures into wellness for the first time with Sacra, a two-floor spa complex in Dubai scheduled to open by the end of 2025. The venue will blend traditional bathhouse rituals with cutting-edge technology, marking Bulldozer’s first major diversification beyond its hospitality core since launching in Dubai in 2011.
Orlov’s strategic timing aligns with Dubai’s remarkable wealth growth trajectory identified in the latest World’s Wealthiest Cities Report 2025, which reveals Dubai is now home to 81,200 resident millionaires. This represents a staggering 102 per cent growth between 2014 and 2024 – one of only three cities globally to outpace Silicon Valley’s growth rate.
“Entering the wellness space felt like a natural progression for us,” Orlov said. “Wellness has become a defining element of luxury, and we’re meeting a growing demand while helping shape a new paradigm where luxury is defined not just by opulence, but by well-being.”
The company has accelerated its expansion in recent months. UNI, a sophisticated Japanese restaurant in Paris inspired by traditional puzzle boxes, opened in the second quarter of 2025. Frou Frou, featuring French cuisine, launched in Marbella last autumn, whilst Eva, an opulent beach club and restaurant, is set to debut in Estepona this July.
Bulldozer’s expansion strategy reflects broader demographic shifts as wealthy individuals and entrepreneurs gravitate toward jurisdictions offering favourable tax regimes, business opportunities and lifestyle amenities. Dubai has emerged as a particular magnet, with its tax-free environment, strategic location and cultural openness attracting global elites.
The emirate has climbed three places to 18th in the global wealth rankings, with forecasts suggesting it will more than double its centi-millionaire population over the next decade, leading anticipated high-growth centres worldwide alongside Abu Dhabi. The UAE’s strategic position is further strengthened by seven of the top 10 wealthiest cities being located in countries with residence by investment programmes.
“By expanding in both mature luxury markets like London and Paris and rapidly ascending ones like Dubai, we’re creating a network that reflects the movement of modern luxury consumers,” Orlov said.
The company, which started with a single restaurant in Dubai when Orlov was 27, has built what he describes as a billion-dollar empire through its theatrical approach to hospitality. Venues are designed as immersive experiences that blend architecture, art, music and cuisine into what Orlov calls “almost cinematic” environments.
“True luxury lies in the elevation of every element, where nothing is left to chance,” he said.
Over the next two years, Bulldozer plans to launch new wellness and hospitality destinations across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, including locations in London, Cyprus and Azerbaijan.
The wellness push comes as the global wellness economy is estimated to be worth over $9 trillion by 2028, according to the Global Wellness Institute, with luxury spas and retreats commanding premium prices as affluent consumers increasingly prioritise health and wellbeing.
The economic significance of Dubai’s wealth growth extends beyond tourism and hospitality. “The world’s centi-millionaires are increasingly designing their geographical footprints with the same strategic care they apply to their investment portfolios,” according to Dominic Volek, Group Head of Private Clients at Henley & Partners. “Formal investment migration pathways create systematic entry routes into these rapidly developing regions.”
Orlov said the company’s expansion reflects its foundational ethos of resilience. “The name ‘Bulldozer’ reflects our mindset: no matter the obstacles, we push forward,” he said. “True to our name, we move forward with strength, vision, and relentless drive.”
The company’s bet on wealth migration appears well-founded. While London – traditionally a magnet for global wealth – has seen its millionaire population decline by 12 per cent over the past decade and fallen from 5th to 6th place globally, the UAE continues its upward trajectory as a preferred destination for the world’s wealthiest individuals.
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