Trusts In The Middle East – Avoiding Conflict Within Families

For those familiar with family trusts, stories of tensions within families which escalate into conflict are a persistent theme. Trusts are a wonderfully flexible and durable means of preserving and enhancing family businesses and wealth over generations, as is evidenced by the fact that they remain as relevant in the modern world as they have done over centuries. Similarly, it is perfectly normal and healthy for family members to have different perspectives from one another and occasional differences of opinion. However, when the two come together, trusts can often become focus for conflict; a lightning rod for tensions within the family.

We have considerable experience of dealing with offshore family trusts whose beneficiaries are based in key jurisdictions in the Middle East, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain. From those interactions we are aware of the depth of sophisticated knowledge and expertise in