Family Offices in the UAE: An Era of Legacy, Governance & Opportunity

Over recent years, the UAE has redefined what it means to preserve family wealth and legacy. Through its world-class free zones like the DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre) and ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market), the UAE has become not just a destination for investment, but a home for structured, enduring family offices.

What is a Family Office—and Why It Matters

A Family Office is more than just wealth management. It is a holistic architecture for a family’s financial, legal, governance, risk, lifestyle, and legacy needs. It centralizes decision-making, professionalizes oversight, and ensures continuity across generations.

In the UAE context, families can opt for a Single-Family Office (serving one “family” in the regulatory sense) or Multi-Family Office (serving multiple families) depending on asset base, service scope, and risk appetite. The definition of “family” is typically broad: it includes blood relations, adopted or step-children, ancestors, heirs, all dependent on the legal framework.

Regulatory Landscape in the UAE: Key Frameworks & Recent Reforms

DIFC

The DIFC’s 2023 Family Arrangements Regulations introduced enhanced flexibility for Single Family Offices, eliminating certain registration requirements in some cases.

To qualify as a DIFC Family Office, a family must meet a minimum net asset requirement of USD 50 million. However, no minimum capital requirement is required to set up a family office.

Services are divided into non-restricted and restricted. Non-restricted services (legal, governance, lifestyle, etc.) are more straightforward in regulatory treatment; restricted services (investment management, fiduciary roles etc.), especially when provided beyond a single family, may require licensing via the DIFC’s regulator, the DFSA.

Applications require disclosure of source of wealth, ultimate beneficial ownership, family structures, who controls the office, etc. Offshore or cross-border arrangements come under scrutiny.

ADGM

ADGM’s Rulebook includes a clear category for Single Family Office. The permitted activities are extensive: from investment advisory, taxation and wealth planning, to legal/regulatory functions, human resources, holding company functions, etc., but exclusively for one family.

The “single family” definition is extensive: blood, step, adoptive relationships; ancestors and descendants. This ensures inclusivity of modern family structures.

Advantages of Setting Up a Family Office in UAE

Favourable Tax & Legal Frameworks: The UAE doesn’t impose income tax on individuals, many free zones provide exemptions, and the legal systems (especially in DIFC and ADGM) are common law-based, familiar to global families.

Regulatory Certainty & Protection: Having a jurisdiction that explicitly allows family offices, with clear definitions, licensing regimes, and structured oversight, provides legitimacy and protection.

Governance, Succession & Continuity: A family office helps establish formal governance, plan for succession, and preserve an intergenerational vision.

Privacy & Confidentiality: While regulatory compliance demands certain disclosures, the regimes often permit private registers and protections against public exposure of sensitive structures.

Efficiency & Scale: Centralizing services—legal, tax, investment, advisory—reduces duplication and cost.

Access to Expertise & Global Networks: DIFC and ADGM both attract top-tier legal, financial, and strategic advisors, opening doors to global capital and philanthropy networks.

Strategic Location & Stability: The UAE’s political stability and geographic positioning make it attractive for families seeking a globally connected base.

For families with significant wealth and vision, the frameworks within DIFC and ADGM transform opportunity into long-term resilience and legacy.

If you would like our support in exploring or establishing a family office, please reach out to us.