The Dubai International Financial Centre has established a Strategic Advisory Committee for its Family Wealth Centre, underscoring its commitment to family-related entities and long-term wealth management. Moreover, the move aligns with the UAE’s designation of 2026 as the Year of the Family and the National Family Growth Agenda 2031, which prioritise family stability and prosperity. As the UAE’s largest family ecosystem, the centre hosts more than 1,250 family-related entities supported by over 600 partners across banking, asset management, legal, and advisory services.
Collectively, the top 120 families operating from the centre manage more than $1.2 trillion in global assets. Additionally, family businesses account for approximately 60 percent of the national GDP and employ around 80 percent of the workforce, underscoring their significant economic impact.
Arif Amiri, CEO of DIFC Authority, said: “DIFC continues to be at forefront of enabling families to contribute to our society, ensuring they succeed and prosper. Through the efforts of the DIFC Family Wealth Centre, sound guidance from partners and world-class structures that support growth, DIFC solidifies Dubai as the preeminent destination for second and third-generation families locally, regionally, and increasingly – globally. The DIFC Family Wealth Centre is emerging as a cornerstone of the private wealth landscape.”
Mandate and advisory role
The Strategic Advisory Committee will guide the Family Wealth Centre by promoting best practices in governance, succession planning, and wealth preservation. Furthermore, it will facilitate access to leading experts and service providers, deliver training and educational programmes, and support high-quality frameworks for wealth and family business structures with strong privacy standards.
Serving in an advisory capacity, the committee will help shape strategic priorities and provide expert, independent insights on global trends affecting family wealth. As a result, it will support outreach, collaboration, educatio,n and knowledge-sharing across the ecosystem.
Ecosystem growth and future plans
The committee’s launch follows several initiatives and partnerships announced at the recent Family Wealth Centre Summit. Consequently, these efforts reinforce Dubai’s role as a regional hub for family wealth, next-generation leadership, and succession planning. Research highlights that family offices increasingly collaborate with external partners, particularly in private markets and emerging technologies, while remaining at the forefront of new investment trends.
During 2025, members benefited from more than 30 exclusive events and publications covering structuring, succession planning, alternative investments, artificial intelligence frameworks, philanthropy, taxatio,n and governance. Therefore, these initiatives strengthen Dubai’s standing as a leading jurisdiction for wealth governance and succession. Looking ahead, the Family Wealth Centre will expand its annual summit in May 2026, scheduled to coincide with Dubai Future Finance Week.
