Dubai, UAE: Investors in the UAE are increasingly restructuring how they hold and manage wealth amid heightened regional uncertainty and global market volatility, with new data showing a significant rise in the use of formal investment and wealth-planning structures.

According to Sovereign PPG Corporate Services, the region’s leading business formation and corporate services provider, more than half (54.6%) of all new finance-related client activity now involves structured entities such as holding companies, special purpose vehicles (SPVs), foundations and family office-related setups – reflecting growing demand for governance, asset protection and long-term capital planning.

Holding companies remain the most commonly used structure, followed by SPVs, foundations and family office-related entities. Standard LLC formations account for almost 30% of new activity, while free zone company (FZC) setups represent approximately 15%.

The trend reflects a broader shift in investor behaviour across the Gulf, where wealthy individuals, family offices and international investors are placing greater emphasis on resilience, transparency and cross-border flexibility in response to increasingly complex geopolitical and economic conditions.

Activity is being driven by both regional and international investors using the United Arab Emirates as a base for cross-border investment and structuring.

The most active jurisdictions remain Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), alongside continued usage of BVI-linked structures and activity through RAK and JAFZA for specific holding and operational requirements.

Recent activity spans a broad range of sectors and geographies, including family office restructuring, international investment holding structures and SPVs linked to sectors such as technology, AI and natural resources.

Sovereign PPG data also shows a 38.5% increase in foundation formations through 2025, highlighting growing demand for structures focused on long-term wealth preservation, governance and succession planning.

This shift towards more structured entities is also beginning to feed into increased interest in regulated investment fund structures in jurisdictions such as DIFC and ADGM, as family offices and private investors look to consolidate capital under more formal governance frameworks and expand into longer-term, institutional-style investment vehicles.

Jade Wong, Senior Sales Manager – Middle East at Sovereign PPG Corporate Services, said: “What we are seeing is a very broad spread of activity, with a common thread – investors are using the UAE to put more structure around how they hold and deploy capital.

“This includes everything from family office setups for personal wealth restructuring, to foundations linked to operational businesses, and SPVs used for targeted investments in sectors such as technology, AI and natural resources. The focus is less on geography or sector, and more on building efficient, transparent structures that support long-term decision-making.”

Despite recent regional instability, setup activity has remained resilient, although clients are placing significantly greater emphasis on governance, transparency and long-term planning when establishing new structures.

Wong added: “We are seeing a clear shift towards more structured ways of managing wealth. Clients are prioritising clarity, governance and long-term planning in how they set up and use their entities.”

The findings reinforce the UAE’s growing role as a regional centre for structured wealth, governance-led investment activity and cross-border capital planning, particularly as global investors seek stable jurisdictions capable of supporting increasingly international and multi-generational wealth strategies.