Dubai, UAE – 05 January 2026
Centre strengthens Dubai’s role as a global hub for family wealth, next generation leadership and succession planning
Aligned with the National Family Growth Agenda 2031, DIFC renews its commitment to helping families thrive
Home to more than 1,250 family related entities and supported by over 600 financial firms and advisors, DIFC hosts the region’s largest family ecosystem and is fast becoming a pillar of global private wealth.
“DIFC remains at the forefront of empowering families to play a meaningful role in society and to achieve long term success. Through the DIFC Family Wealth Centre, the expertise of our partners and robust, world class structures that enable growth, DIFC continues to position Dubai as the destination of choice for second and third generation families locally, regionally and increasingly worldwide. The DIFC Family Wealth Centre is quickly becoming a cornerstone of the private wealth sector.”
— His Excellency Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer, DIFC Authority
Dubai, UAE; 5 January 2026: Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial centre for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting families by establishing a Strategic Advisory Committee for the DIFC Family Wealth Centre.
This step aligns with the UAE’s designation of 2026 as the ‘Year of the Family’ and the National Family Growth Agenda 2031, which highlights the central role families play in society and provides a comprehensive framework to ensure their long-term stability and prosperity.
DIFC hosts the UAE’s largest family ecosystem, with more than 1,250 family related entities supported by over 600 partners, including private banks, wealth and asset managers, law firms and advisory businesses. The top 120 families operating from DIFC collectively manage more than USD 1.2 trillion in assets globally, underlining their significant contribution to the UAE economy. Family businesses account for around 60 per cent of national GDP and employ approximately 80 per cent of the country’s workforce.
The newly formed Strategic Advisory Committee will guide the DIFC Family Wealth Centre by promoting best practices in family governance, succession planning and wealth preservation. It will provide access to leading experts, advisors and service providers, support tailored education and training programmes, and help develop high quality, privacy focused frameworks for family wealth and business structures. These efforts will further strengthen DIFC’s standing as a leading centre for private wealth and family business advisory.
In an advisory capacity, the Committee will help shape the Centre’s strategic direction and priorities, offer independent expert insights to enhance DIFC’s family wealth offerings, contribute thought leadership on global family wealth trends, and support outreach, knowledge sharing, collaboration, networking and education initiatives.
The launch of the Strategic Advisory Committee follows several landmark initiatives and partnerships announced at the recent DIFC Family Wealth Centre Summit, reinforcing Dubai’s position as the MEASA region’s leading destination for family wealth, next-generation leadership and succession planning.
Research highlights the growing importance of collaboration for family offices. A BlackRock whitepaper notes that many family offices work closely with external partners to access private markets and emerging technologies, while a BNY Wealth study shows that family offices are often early adopters of new investment trends, including private markets and digital assets. In 2025 alone, members of the DIFC Family Wealth Centre benefited from more than 30 exclusive events, workshops, roundtables and publications delivered in partnership with DIFC stakeholders. Topics included family office structuring, succession planning, alternative investments, AI frameworks, philanthropy, global taxation and governance.
These initiatives further enhance Dubai’s attractiveness as a jurisdiction of choice for wealth management, governance and succession planning, offering families regulatory clarity, structured governance support, licensing and Golden Visa facilitation, curated education programmes and access to an extensive high level network. Through its growing community and partnerships, the DIFC Family Wealth Centre enables families to formalize their legacy, build customized structures, access specialized talent and confidently grow across generations while contributing to Dubai’s global competitiveness.
DIFC’s commitment to families dates to its establishment in 2004, with long-standing support for foundations, holding companies, managing offices, private trust companies and proprietary investment entities. The introduction of the DIFC Family Arrangements Regulations in 2023 further reinforced Dubai’s commitment to efficient family wealth governance, enhancing transparency, stability and trust within the family office ecosystem.
Looking ahead, the DIFC Family Wealth Centre will expand its annual Summit in May 2026, which will take place as part of Dubai Future Finance Week.
