U.S. family offices head to Abu Dhabi following Trump's visit, strengthening cross-border investment ties

Zawya

19-05-2025

Dubai, UAE – A growing number of U.S. family offices are turning their attention to Abu Dhabi, spurred by high-level diplomatic engagement and transformative investment initiatives. This shift follows U.S. President Donald Trump's recent visit to the UAE, where he met with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, to discuss deepening cooperation in strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, energy, and advanced manufacturing.
Trump's visit builds on the momentum generated by the UAE's landmark $1.4 trillion investment strategy, announced in March 2025, targeting U.S. industries over the next decade. This unprecedented capital commitment is drawing significant interest from America's ultra-high-net-worth families, who increasingly view Abu Dhabi as a gateway for long-term, cross-border investment.
High-profile names like Leon Black and Ray Dalio have already established family offices in the Emirate, attracted by Abu Dhabi's ascent as a global hub for finance, innovation, and alternative investments.
Family enterprises are central to the UAE's economy, contributing approximately 60% of GDP and employing 80% of the national workforce. Family offices in the region are evolving from traditional structures into powerful investment platforms—partnering with the public sector to drive growth in infrastructure, sustainability, and frontier technologies.
One of the leading platforms accelerating this East-West convergence is the Family Office Summit, which has gained significant traction since launching in Abu Dhabi in 2023. The December 2024 edition marked early U.S. family office participation, including a keynote from Dillon Lawson-Johnson, a next-generation member of the Guggenheim family.
Speaking during his first visit to the UAE, Lawson-Johnson shared his interest in Abu Dhabi as a strategic base for expanding his family's global business interests and highlighted their ongoing construction of their famous museum in the city.
The upcoming summit, taking place on May 29, 2025, will explore the distinctions between family holdings and family offices—two often-confused structures with complementary strengths. The agenda will also delve into cross-border investment strategies and collaborative wealth platforms.
'Family holdings are common in the UAE, typically comprising multiple operating companies across diverse sectors,' said Obediah Ayton, Chairman of the Family Office Summit. 'However, they often lack the flexibility of a modern family office, which is structured around long-term capital preservation, diversification, and alternative asset strategies. The U.S. model has evolved significantly in this space—something the UAE can learn from as it modernizes its approach to wealth stewardship.'
This year's summit will feature high-impact panels and closed-door sessions addressing:
Next-Gen Family Office Disruptors – How rising leaders are transforming the family office model through bold bets in tech, venture capital, and emerging industries.
Women and Wealth – Highlighting the growing role of female leadership in driving governance, impact investing, and legacy planning.
With Abu Dhabi cementing its role as a premier destination for global wealth management, the Family Office Summit offers a unique platform for local and international families to connect, collaborate, and co-invest. As the UAE deepens its investment ties with the U.S., platforms like this are becoming vital bridges between East and West.
To learn more, visit: https://familyofficesummit.ae/abu-dhabi
Family Office Summit: Creating a New Standard for Family Office Events
The Family Office Summit, an annual event that began in November 2023 and quickly attracted significant attention. With a format that promotes high-quality, organic interactions rather than the conventional sponsor-driven model, the summit has redefined family office networking. The event is marked by its interactive setting, with high tables and chairs instead of traditional round tables, encouraging dynamic, on-your-feet discussions. This setup aligns with Obediah's belief that meaningful connections are best forged through active engagement rather than passive observation.
Unlike other events, the Family Office Summit is curated to support genuine, impactful networking by bringing together global family offices under one roof. With an emphasis on smaller, targeted gatherings and learning-focused events, the summit enables attendees to delve into relevant topics, fostering collaboration in a rapidly evolving wealth management landscape. Obediah's commitment to personalized interactions ensures that each participant connects with like-minded professionals, aligning the summit's ethos with the UAE's unique, people-first culture.
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