Structuring for growth: Driving intergenerational success with DIFC’s family wealth structuring solutions
As the landscape of family wealth management evolves, DIFC stands at the forefront, offering innovative solutions to help ultra-high-net-worth families structure and grow their legacies across generations.
Khadija Ali
Published: 11/12/2025
5 min read
Ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) families are redefining how they manage, structure and deploy generational wealth. Across the globe, family offices are maturing at speed, embracing institutional-grade governance and expanding their focus well beyond traditional investment and wealth-preservation strategies. Today’s family offices are not only refining their internal structures to balance long-term priorities with professional management, but are also diversifying boldly into alternative investments, private markets, and impact-investing.
Forward-thinking hubs like Dubai are adapting frameworks to accommodate complex, cross-border structures, ensuring families have the flexibility and security they require. Within Dubai, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) differentiates itself from other jurisdictions through regulatory innovation, legal clarity and enhanced service offerings.
For over 20 years, DIFC has been a pioneer in supporting family-led institutions, introducing world-class structures and laws tailored for succession and legacy planning. With a vision to drive the future of finance, DIFC has established itself as a global leader in providing cutting-edge solutions for family businesses and ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs).
Today, DIFC has grown into a global hub for family wealth, with over 1,250 family-associated entities operating within the Centre. And at the heart of its comprehensive family offering lie its private and family wealth structures that offer robust governance, harmonising family dynamics with expert oversight.
Adopting a tailored approach to family wealth management, DIFC recognises that no family businesses are alike. Through a diverse suite of sophisticated structures and solutions, the Centre meets the unique needs of families, regardless of where their assets reside. From holding companies and Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), also known as Prescribed Companies in DIFC, to foundations and trusts, DIFC provides a broad framework for families to structure, protect and grow their wealth in a secure and tax-efficient manner. These structures also serve as effective tools for streamlining cross-border investment, providing clear legal and operational frameworks for accommodating complex investment strategies.
The introduction of the Family Arrangements Regulations in January 2023 marked a significant milestone in DIFC’s commitment to empowering family businesses. These regulations replaced the Single Family Office (SFO) framework, offering greater flexibility for family offices to operate without the need for regulation by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). This allowed families to focus on their legacy without unnecessary administrative burdens.
Given the importance of privacy and confidentiality for families, these elements are at the core of DIFC’s offering. The establishment of a Private Register gives family offices and entities the option to keep shareholder and interest-holder details confidential. Additionally, the DIFC Privacy Vault safeguards personal details of family members, further enhancing the privacy offering for families.
DIFC’s family wealth structures make legacy planning easier by addressing the complexities of modern wealth management and succession planning. Its family office regime applies consistent governance across all aspects of family affairs, from wealth administration and advisory to navigating multi-generational needs. In doing so, it enables families to exercise greater control and influence over their portfolios. Single-family offices enjoy flexibility and privacy, while multi-family offices offering financial services are regulated by the DFSA.
Holding companies offer ideal solutions for families with diverse investments and businesses. They streamline family business structures by simplifying decision-making, clarifying ownership and centralising administrative functions. SPVs are also gaining in popularity as ideal tools for strategic structuring, asset protection and risk mitigation. SPVs in DIFC come with versatile use cases, lower compliance burdens, fast-track application processes and reduced fees.
DIFC’s foundations are globally recognised for offering unique advantages such as ring-fencing provisions, tax-efficient treatment and private dispute resolution mechanisms. At the end of June 2025, there were 842 foundations registered in DIFC, up 54 per cent year-on-year.
Another structuring tool that allows families to protect and manage assets while ensuring seamless succession planning are trusts. Governed by the DIFC Trust Law, trusts in DIFC can be tailored for charitable, non-charitable or investment purposes, offering legal certainty and privacy.
DIFC’s family wealth structures are complemented by the DIFC Family Wealth Centre (DFWC), the first platform of its kind in the world that empowers families and UHNWIs with tailored business support, education and networking opportunities. With access to a prestigious community of financial experts and trusted advisers, DFWC fosters collaboration, innovation and thought leadership, helping families navigate challenges stemming from technological disruption, geopolitical risks and succession planning.
With its robust legal framework, progressive structures and comprehensive ecosystem for wealth management, DIFC is well placed to attract and nurture the world’s most discerning family offices, empowering them to thrive in an evolving financial landscape.