In Abu Dhabi, ADGM offers structures including single-family offices, multi-family offices, trusts, foundations and special purpose vehicles. Its single-family office framework requires minimum family net assets of $10 million, while certain structures allow families to separate asset ownership from their wider business operations.
The latest ranking comes as Dubai reports continued growth in the number of family-related businesses and wealth management structures operating within its financial center.
According to DIFC's official first-half 2026 results, the number of family business-related entities reached 1,408 at the end of June, representing an increase of 36% from a year earlier. The number of registered foundations also rose 67% to 1,409.
DIFC also reported 10,018 active registered companies and 1,134 regulated financial services firms at the end of the first half. Its wider financial ecosystem includes banks, investment managers, legal advisers and other service providers that family offices may require when managing assets across different markets.
The growth has implications beyond the wealth management industry itself. Family offices can invest in private businesses, real estate, financial markets and investment funds, potentially creating opportunities for asset managers and other financial service providers operating in the UAE.
The country's ability to attract these structures may also strengthen demand for professional services, including investment advisory, accounting, estate planning and corporate governance.
Global Citizen Solutions divided the jurisdictions in its study into eight established centers, nine emerging destinations and 16 origin markets, where significant family wealth exists but dedicated family office frameworks may be less developed.
The UAE led the emerging group, which also included Qatar, India, Malaysia, Italy, Uruguay, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and Panama. Qatar was identified as another Gulf jurisdiction with a dedicated family office framework.
Among the established centers, Singapore ranked first, followed by other longstanding wealth management jurisdictions including Switzerland and Hong Kong. The UAE's overall score exceeded those of the United States, the United Kingdom, Liechtenstein and Monaco, despite their classification as established destinations.
The findings suggest that newer financial centers can compete with traditional wealth management locations through specialized regulation and tax arrangements. However, the report also found that established jurisdictions generally retain advantages in financial ecosystem depth and institutional stability.
Global Citizen Solutions evaluated the jurisdictions using nine indicators grouped into four categories: stability and reputation, regulation and taxation, financial ecosystem depth, and residency and succession considerations.
João Pacheco, Head of Institutional Client Relations at Global Citizen Solutions, said: “Families have diversified their assets for generations. What is new is that they are diversifying their citizenships as well, and those two decisions are increasingly taken by the same people at the same table.”
Its methodology drew on publicly available information, including governance indicators, tax references and international financial center rankings.
While the UAE performed strongly as a destination for establishing and operating family offices, the report highlighted differences in how jurisdictions support the families behind them, particularly regarding long-term residency and citizenship.
The study found that the UAE's regulatory and financial environment was among its main strengths. However, it also noted that foreign families in the UAE and Qatar face more limited pathways to citizenship than those available in several European and American jurisdictions.
Families managing assets internationally may therefore establish investment structures in one jurisdiction while maintaining residence, citizenship or succession arrangements elsewhere.
Patricia Casaburi, CEO and Founder of Global Citizen Solutions, said: “We treat mobility as part of a family office’s diversification strategy, not as something alongside it. The reasoning that leads a family to hold assets in more than one jurisdiction applies equally to where its members hold residence and status.”
Separate research from PwC's 2026 Family Office Location Guide also identifies the UAE's developed professional services infrastructure and access to international financial institutions as relevant considerations for families establishing offices in the country.
The UAE's position in the new ranking illustrates how its financial centers have developed beyond traditional banking and capital markets into specialized private wealth services.
