The Middle East is undergoing one of the most significant periods of private wealth creation and intergenerational wealth transition in its history. Across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC, family-owned businesses continue to dominate economic activity, while a new generation of globally minded wealth creators is increasingly looking beyond traditional succession planning towards more sophisticated governance, ownership and family office structures.
As family wealth becomes more international, institutionalised and multi-generational, the key challenge facing many families is no longer simply preserving assets. It is establishing durable governance frameworks capable of supporting family cohesion, succession planning, investment decision making and long term stewardship across multiple jurisdictions and generations.
Against this backdrop, from an international perspective, we are seeing growing interest in a range of international structures, including Cayman Islands foundation companies, private trust companies (PTCs), Jersey and Guernsey trusts and foundations, and British Virgin Islands holding vehicles. All in the context of how these and other international structures and entity types can compliment the ever growing sophisticated regional domiciled structures, whether from the ADGM, DIFC, Saudi Arabia or the wider GCC.
Whilst these international structures have long been utilised by international private clients, their increasing adoption by Middle Eastern families, across multi-jurisdictional cross-border strategies, reflects a broader evolution in how wealth is managed and governed in the modern era.
From our office in the Middle East, Bedell Cristin works with family offices, entrepreneurs, principals and advisers across the Middle East, Africa and India to design governance and succession frameworks that address not only ownership and control, but also continuity, family values and long-term strategic objectives. Both from a local Middle Eastern lens and a wider international prism.
The traditional family office model in the GCC has evolved significantly over the last decade. What were once relatively informal structures centred around a family patriarch or operating business have increasingly become institutional organisations responsible for managing diversified portfolios spanning private equity, venture capital, real estate, infrastructure, public markets, philanthropy and operating businesses across multiple jurisdictions.
This evolution has naturally driven greater focus on governance, succession and decision making structures.
Many families today are asking fundamental questions. How should future generations participate in governance? How can family control be maintained without creating operational inefficiencies? How can assets be protected whilst preserving flexibility for future generations? How should philanthropic objectives be integrated alongside investment activities? How can family disputes be minimised before they arise?
The answers increasingly lie in combining legal structures with governance frameworks that balance control, oversight and continuity. Appropriately addressed both in the region and beyond, internationally.
A significant development in this area has been the increasing interest in and the use of Cayman Islands foundation companies.
As highlighted by my colleagues in Bedell Cristin's recent analysis (link to the full article below), Cayman foundation companies combine characteristics traditionally associated with both companies and trusts. They possess separate legal personality, can own assets and enter into contracts in their own name, whilst also providing governance features that many families find familiar from private wealth structures.
Unlike traditional companies, a Cayman foundation company can operate without shareholders and can instead be governed through a combination of directors, supervisors, constitutional provisions and bespoke governance arrangements. This flexibility has proven particularly attractive for family offices and succession planning structures seeking long-term continuity across generations.
The ability to create tailored governance arrangements is particularly relevant in the Middle East, where many families seek structures that accommodate family councils, investment committees, advisory boards, protectors and next-generation participation within a cohesive governance framework.
Cayman foundation companies can be designed to incorporate advisory, fiduciary and supervisory functions, allowing governance structures to reflect the specific dynamics of each family.
Alongside Cayman foundation companies, PTCs continue to be increasingly important components of sophisticated family wealth structures.
Many Middle East substantial families prefer to retain greater involvement in the governance of their trust arrangements than is typically possible through conventional trustee relationships. PTC structures can facilitate this by creating a dedicated trustee vehicle that acts solely for the family's trusts, allowing family members and trusted advisers to participate in governance while maintaining an appropriate fiduciary framework. There is a result of this flexibility growing use of PTCs amongst wealthy international families seeking enhanced governance, continuity and family involvement in long-term wealth structures.
In practice, Cayman foundation companies have become increasingly popular as ownership and governance vehicles for PTC arrangements. The absence of traditional shareholders can simplify succession planning and avoid many of the ownership challenges historically associated with PTC structures.
Whilst Cayman foundation companies are receiving growing attention, sophisticated Middle Eastern family office structures rarely rely on a single jurisdiction.
Jersey continues to be one of the world's leading trust jurisdictions, offering a well-developed legal framework, sophisticated courts and strong statutory protections. Jersey trusts remain particularly popular with international families focused on long-term succession planning, asset protection and governance arrangements.
Recent legislative developments have further reinforced Jersey's reputation for certainty and modern trust administration.
Guernsey similarly offers highly respected trust and foundation structures and has become increasingly attractive for family office arrangements involving family governance, private investment vehicles and philanthropic initiatives. Industry participants continue to emphasise the suitability of Guernsey foundations for families seeking corporate-style governance arrangements whilst maintaining private wealth objectives.
The British Virgin Islands remains an important jurisdiction for holding structures, family investment vehicles and international business ownership. BVI companies continue to play a central role in many international family office structures, particularly where operating assets, private investments or cross-border holdings are involved. This flexibility often makes BVI entities a useful complement to wider trust, foundation or family office arrangements.
Whilst much attention is often given to selecting a particular jurisdiction or legal vehicle, the more important trend is the growing focus on governance.
Across the Middle East, we increasingly see families placing greater emphasis on formal family constitutions, succession policies, investment governance frameworks, philanthropic strategies and next-generation engagement programmes.
The most successful structures are seldom those that focus exclusively on asset ownership. Rather, they are structures designed to provide clarity around decision making, accountability, oversight and participation across generations.
For many Middle Eastern families, this is where foundation companies, PTCs, trusts and family office structures intersect. They are increasingly viewed not merely as legal vehicles, but as governance platforms capable of supporting family continuity, preserving family values and facilitating long term stewardship of wealth.
As regional financial centres, like the ADGM and DIFC, continue to establish themselves as leading family office and private wealth centres, these regional hubs as a result are increasingly becoming the jurisdiction through which many regional families coordinate their international structures.
From our Middle East office in the ADGM, Bedell Cristin advises clients across the Middle East, Africa and India on the establishment and ongoing governance of family office structures utilising Cayman, Jersey, Guernsey and BVI solutions, complimenting regional structures and solutions.
Our role almost always extends beyond technical structuring advice to include governance design, succession planning, family office strategy, philanthropic frameworks and next-generation planning.
As wealth becomes increasingly global, family governance is becoming increasingly important. Cayman foundation companies, private trust companies, Jersey and Guernsey trusts and foundations, and BVI holding structures each offer valuable international solutions within the modern family office ecosystem.
The question is rarely which structure is best. More often, it is how these structures can be combined to create a governance framework capable of preserving both wealth and family legacy over the long term. Addressing both regional and international requirements and needs.
For Middle Eastern families navigating growth, succession and globalisation, that conversation is likely to become one of the most important strategic discussions of the coming decade.
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Locations: BVI | Cayman Islands | Guernsey | Jersey | Abu Dhabi
Related Service: International Private Client
