Services / 02
Holding companies, SPVs, foundations and family office structures in the UAE and Asia
Structuring
Holding companies, SPVs, foundations, trusts and family offices, designed so that each layer has a reason to exist: regulation, investors, succession or substance.
Every layer needs a reason.
If we cannot say what an entity is for, it does not go in the chart.
100%
100%: the direct holding at each layer of the family holding example on this page.
Holding companies and SPVs in ADGM and DIFC
Where the group is owned from, and the special purpose vehicles that hold assets, financing or intellectual property.
What we do
- Choice of centre and entity type for the holding layer
- SPVs for acquisitions, assets and financing
- Shareholder agreements coordinated with your counsel
- Incorporation, registers and share capital
Compared in words
Mainland, free zone, ADGM or DIFC
Four places to form a company in the UAE. The right one depends on what the company does, who its customers are and who regulates it.
| Centre | Where | Registered by | Legal framework | Financial regulator | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mainland | Onshore Dubai, trading across the UAE | Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) | UAE federal law and Dubai law | CBUAE and SCA; VARA for virtual assets | Trading and services with UAE customers |
| Free zone | One of Dubai’s free zones, each with its own authority | The free zone authority | UAE federal law and the free zone’s own regulations | Depends on the activity; VARA for virtual assets | Operating companies, service businesses and holding companies |
| ADGM | Al Maryah and Al Reem Islands, Abu Dhabi | ADGM Registration Authority | English common law, applied directly | FSRA | Holding companies, SPVs, foundations, funds and regulated financial services |
| DIFC | Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai | DIFC Registrar of Companies | Its own civil and commercial laws on common law principles, with its own courts | DFSA | Holding companies, family offices, foundations, funds and regulated financial services |
The marked row is where the family foundation in the example on this page sits. Every structure is chosen for its own facts.
Cross-border structures
Groups that operate in more than one centre. Substance, residency and control have to be consistent everywhere the group touches.
What we do
- Group design across the UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong
- Substance and management planning
- Intra-group arrangements, coordinated with your tax advisers
- Sequencing: what is formed, licensed and moved, and when
ADGM and DIFC foundations and trusts
Vehicles that separate ownership from control, for succession, asset protection and long-term holding.
What we do
- Foundation or trust: which, and where
- Charter, by-laws and letters of wishes
- Council, guardian and beneficiary design
- Ongoing administration and records
Family office setup: Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong
Single family offices that hold, invest and govern family wealth, with the regulatory status that fits what they actually do.
What we do
- Family office entity and governance design
- Investment vehicles and incentive schemes, with your tax advisers
- Family constitution and decision rights
- Staff, substance and reporting
Example
A family holding
A foundation holds the family’s interests through a holding company, with a separate investment vehicle and an operating business.
Illustrative only.
FAQ / Questions
Questions we are asked.
ADGM or DIFC foundation: which is better?
Both are common law foundations used for family holding, succession and asset protection. The choice turns on the assets held, where the family and the group are, governance preferences and the banks involved. We compare them for your case before anything is set up.
What is an SPV used for?
A special purpose vehicle holds one asset, investment or financing so it can be ring-fenced, sold or financed on its own. ADGM and DIFC are frequently used for UAE holding and SPV structures.
Can a single family office be set up in Dubai?
Yes. Single family offices are commonly set up in DIFC or ADGM. Singapore and Hong Kong also offer family office regimes. The right location depends on where the family lives, invests and banks.
Bring us the complicated one.
Tell us what you are building, where, and what stands in the way. A principal replies, not a sales desk.