Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has formed a strategic partnership with Emirates NBD to support family businesses and ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) within the DIFC Family Wealth Centre.

Under the agreement, Emirates NBD Private Banking will work with DIFC Family Wealth Centre to provide frameworks for governance, tax structuring, and succession planning aimed at long-term sustainability and legacy preservation.

The collaboration will also include educational programmes, workshops, and resources covering family governance, succession planning, and family office structures.

Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Authority, said:

“DIFC provides world-class structures and advisory access that enable families to safeguard wealth and build enduring legacies. Our collaboration with Emirates NBD reinforces DIFC’s commitment to enabling sustainable family wealth strategies through robust governance and succession planning frameworks.”

Mohammad Al Bastaki, Group Head of Private Banking and Wealth Management at Emirates NBD, said:

“By collaborating with DIFC, we provide a holistic platform that offers expertise in governance, succession, and wealth preservation, helping clients ensure their legacies endure across generations.”

DIFC hosts more than 1,250 family-related entities, including major global private-client institutions.

The top 120 families in DIFC manage over US$1.2 trillion in assets, contributing substantially to the UAE economy, where family businesses account for around 60 per cent of GDP and employ 80 per cent of the national workforce.

The partnership gives family businesses and UHNWIs access to DIFC’s structures and Emirates NBD’s tailored products, supporting succession planning, wealth preservation, asset protection, governance, cross-border investments, and family office solutions.

Featured image credit: Emirates NBD