The Middle East is witnessing a rapid transformation in its private wealth landscape, marked by the professionalization and institutionalization of family offices. With the substantial growth of wealth among ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs), it’s logical to seek private client services for wealth management. While family advisory services turn out to be imperative, it’s worth taking note of the crucial trends of private wealth management in this region.
This edition presents you with three distinctive trends in private wealth management in the Middle East.
1. Family Offices Are Being Professionalized and Institutionalized
Across the GCC region, family offices are witnessing a period of significant expansion and professionalization. According to recent data, are are nearly 6,000 UHNWIs in the Middle East, collectively worth around $995 billion. This wealth is likely to further surge in the coming years. The spike in wealth has resulted in a notable increment in the number of family offices in the Middle East adopting more structured and institutional approaches.
Traditionally, family offices were managed by an accountant and an investment professional who used to oversee assets for the generations to come. However, the current trend marks a shift towards more institutionalized family offices. This attracts skilled professionals from reputed law firms, investment banks, and the Big Four accountancy firms. A modern single family office in Dubai has evolved into a dynastic institution. Experts help streamline the process of wealth transfer and establish sophisticated investment vehicles like pooled investment companies and Jersey Private Funds for institutional-style investments.
As family offices handle wealth management for their clients, they tend to attract top talent in the industry and retain it. Leading single family offices deploy incentivization techniques like deferred compensation schemes, carried interest, and long-term incentive plans. This strategic approach to talent management positions family offices to compete effectively with larger institutions like private banks for key personnel.
2. Planning Succession
In the Middle East, many families have rapidly accumulated wealth over the last few decades. This demands greater attention on succession planning among UHNW families. Succession planning has emerged as a relevant trend with imminent wealth transfer between generations. It’s interesting to note that several UHNW families are initiating succession planning for the first time.
According to estimates, nearly $1 trillion will be transferred within GCC families by 2030. This justifies the relevance of robust succession planning strategies. Legislative changes regarding family businesses have facilitated this wealth transfer process. Second and third-generation family members are mostly responsible for driving business growth, modernization, and diversification.
Wealth transfer between generations signifies a key juncture for families. This calls for the establishment of dynastic structures that include different businesses, philanthropic initiatives, and developmental projects. Professional structuring significantly enhances asset management and succession planning. This is why most families are looping in specializes in the field to work on complex structuring requirements.
3. Private Wealth Being Driven By M&A Transactions
The corporate M&A market in the Middle East is experiencing a surge. A report from the EY cited over 318 M&A deals completed in the first half of 2023, with a total value exceeding $43.8 billion. Notably, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt dominate this landscape, with a particular focus on tech and infrastructure sectors.
Sectors based on technology, such as food-tech, ed-tech, and fintech are attracting investors from sovereign wealth funds and quasi-sovereign entities like Saudi PIF, ADQ, and Mubadala. These corporate transactions, backed by substantial entities, result in immediate liquidity events for individuals and families. Naturally, it drives the growth of private wealth and calls for sophisticated structuring strategies to manage the booming wealth effectively.
