We were delighted to host the 2023 HUBBIS WEALTH SOLUTIONS FORUM (Dubai) on Wednesday 20th September.
Thankyou to our partners:Platinum: 1291 Group, Henley & Partners, Saxo; Gold: Eton Solutions, Investors Trust, Spencer West, Trident Trust; Silver: GAM Investments, Sun Life Financial, Wealtra; Bronze: J. Rotbart & Co.
These were some of the key topics that will be covered in the Forum:
- UAE – what are the challenges ahead?
- How Technology advancements can benefit offshore wealth advisers
- How can a Wealth Protection Plan help you navigate the many challenges today?
- UAE continues to attract private wealth clients and advisers
- How do you create the perfect family office?
- Transforming a Family Office to Reimagine the Value it Delivers
- The impact of UAE corporate tax on private wealth
- Wealth Solutions – Trends and Issues
- UAE and Regulatory Compliance – what are the potential issues?
- Digital Platform tools for Wealth Management
- Business Succession Trust
- The challenges of continuing the family legacy
- Helping UHNW Families transfer true wealth
Don't forget to SAVE THE DATE for our 2024 forum to be held on Wednesday 11th September 2024 - 9.00am to 2.00pm.
HUBBIS WEALTH SOLUTIONS FORUM - Dubai 2023
InterContinental Dubai Festival City, United Arab Emirates

A community of leading organisations within Asian Wealth Management

Senior figures in Asian Wealth Management are speaking at this event

Marc-Andre Sola
1291 Group

Priyanka Roy Jivani
1291 Group

Mehrez Kheir
Abbey Road Investment

Midya Omar
Al Tamimi & Company

Asghar Abid
Bank of Singapore

Diana Hamade
Diana Hamade Attorneys at Law

Bryan Henning
Eton Solutions

Nirav Dinesh Kumar Shah
FAME Advisory DMCC
Why you should attend Hubbis events

Experience our latest event for yourself
HUBBIS WEALTH SOLUTIONS FORUM - Dubai 2023
InterContinental Dubai Festival City, United Arab Emirates
We were delighted to host the 2023 HUBBIS WEALTH SOLUTIONS FORUM (Dubai) on Wednesd...
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8.30am
Registration
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8.55am
Welcome Address
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9.00am
Panel Discussion
Is the UAE on Track to Become a World-Class Wealth Management and Wealth Structuring Centre
- Where does the UAE stand on the world stage as a private wealth management and structuring centre?
- What particular competitive advantages does the UAE offer private clients compared to other major offshore centres?
- Is the UAE relevant to both local Middle Eastern and also for international private clients?
- Is the regulatory environment keeping pace with the growth in AUM and rising client numbers? What needs to change?
- Do Clients want to book assets in the UAE and are the banks leading or following?
- Is wealth planning & structuring expanding robustly and where is the demand coming from?
- Is there a sufficiently deep ecosystem of professional local, regional and international private banks, EAMs, and MFOs?
- Is the Single-Family Office market on track to develop further and is the UAE attracting only local or also international UHNW families?
- Is there a sufficiently deep ecosystem of legal and fiduciary expertise?
- Are there enough experienced Private Wealth Professionals/Advisors? What can be done to boost and enhance the talent pool?
Chair
Speakers
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9.30am
Presentation - The Opportunities, Challenges and Dilemmas facing Middle East Advisers in 2023
Phil will explore the vast opportunities available to financial advisers in a region experiencing rapid economic growth and diversification. From wealth management, to guiding startups, the Middle East presents a multitude of opportunities. However, with these opportunities come unique challenges. Navigating the diverse regulatory frameworks within and across different countries, cultural sensitivities, and the complexities of Sharia-compliant finance. We'll examine how financial advisers can adapt and thrive in this complex environment. Finally, we will look at some of the ethical dilemmas that financial advisers encounter daily, balancing fiduciary responsibilities with cultural expectations, avoiding conflicts of interest, and ensuring transparency are vital aspects of maintaining trust in a diverse clientele.
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9.45am
Presentation - How can a Wealth Protection Plan help you navigate the many challenges today?
In today‘s world UHNW families are exposed to many challenges that potentially destroy their wealth - global fiscal controls, international transparency, cross boarder regulations and political uncertainty – to name a few. As Professionals we face overwhelming legal and reputational risks. How can a solid Wealth Protection Plan help overcome these issues?
- What does Wealth Protection Planning mean?
- How does a great Wealth Protection Plan help clients and Professionals!
- What solutions are available and how are they different?
- What are the highlights of the most complete Wealth Protection Plan?
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10.00am
Presentation - UAE continues to attract private wealth clients and advisers
- Latest insights across the spectrum
- The Equilibrium of lifestyle and investment – a case study
- The fight for financial capital continues to rise in the region
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10.15am
Panel Discussion
How do you Create the Perfect Single-Family Office (SFO)?
- What are the key considerations around establishing a Single-Family Office (SFO) for a UNHW family?
- What scale of family AUM makes an SFO a worthwhile exercise and why?
- What are the key differences for families to consider if they are setting up smaller SFOs (up to USD250m) or larger SFOs (USD250-billions)?
- What technology can these SFOs avail themselves of?
- What sort of talent is available for SFO staffing in the UAE? What more can be done to expand the talent pool?
- How does an SFO curate a highly professional and trustworthy advisory ecosystem of specialist wealth, asset, fiduciary, legal, accounting, and other experts in the UAE?
- What advantages does the UAE have to offer families establishing SFOs?
- How do the different centres compare in their offerings for SFOs, such as the DIFC, or ADGM and others?
- Is there sufficiently deep expertise to support SFOs in their wealth structuring and planning missions?
- What are the key differences between SFOs and MFOs and what are the key considerations for MFOs establishing a presence in the UAE?
Chair
Speakers
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10.45am
Presentation - Developing a Diagnostic and Remediation Plan for an UHNW Family
UHNW Client’s often approach their asset and wealth management process in a fractured and non-systematic process, often alienated from the core operating business asset base. In this short presentation Mark will address the key components necessary for an UHNW family to develop a sound understanding of their existing asset disposition and family base from which a remediation plan can be developed.
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11.00am
Refreshment & Networking
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11.30am
Presentation - Transforming a Family Office to Reimagine the Value it Delivers
- Setting up a family office to deliver scalable advantage for tomorrow
- Using technology to create operational leverage and efficiencies
- Digitalising governance functions within the Family Office and across family members and key advisors
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11.45am
Panel Discussion
The impact of UAE corporate tax on private wealth
- What are the hot topics currently around tax and private wealth?
- What are the potential consequences of the new corporate income tax law?
- Will this effect private wealth?
- What is the taxability of private wealth in the UAE/GCC
- Foundations and the new Corporate Income Tax law – challenges?
- Ownership of real estate – challenges?
- Participating interests of UAE companies or foundations.
- Now there is a corporate tax law in the UAE – how does this effect families thinking in comparison to other options like Saudi Arabia?
- PE and POEM considerations and risks.
- Double Taxation treaties and the UAE.
Chair
Speakers
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12.15pm
Panel Discussion
Wealth Structuring & Solutions – The Key Considerations and Issues
- What in your opinion are the essential ingredients to a successful estate & succession plan – how are HNW and UHNW families in UAE approaching this?
- What stumbling blocks do you come across? What cultural challenges and solutions?
- Who creates the initiative in the family? Challenges the trusted advisors face when advising the Family and how are lawyers and external advisors incorporated into the process?
- How is the use of UAE Wills developing – what are the issues and challenges?
- DIFC, ADGM and Domestic Trusts vs. Offshore Trusts? Are domestic trusts being utilised and how, and where do the offshore trusts fit in.
- What is the interest in DIFC/ADGM Foundations and Sharia Law solutions? Are wealth managers and fiduciaries sufficiently focused on these solutions?
- What are the Popular Offshore Jurisdictions for UAE residents?
- Is there enough focus on Governance and is the supply of qualified advisors sufficient?
- How are UAE residents approaching the use of life insurance as part of the solutions?
Chair
Speakers
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12.45pm
Panel Discussion
UAE and Regulatory Compliance – what are the potential issues?
- What are the key regulatory and compliance issues to consider when organising robust estate and business succession and structuring?
- What issues are specific to the UAE (beyond normal issues one would face in other leading jurisdictions)?
- What impact has the FATF Grey List had (from February 2022)
- What is the Impact of the EU Black List (from March 2023)
- What are the global or regional Regulatory Actions or Changes ahead?
- How do you ensure privacy and cyber-security and what happens if things go wrong?
- What are the key regulatory issues to consider related to onshore Wealth Structures?
- What are the key regulatory issues to consider related to offshore Wealth Structures?
Chair
Speakers
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1.15pm
Lunch & Networking
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2.00pm
Workshop - What to consider when choosing a wealth manager and Service provider
- What trends to be mindful of both globally and in the region
- Providing an offering with the right mix of: safety of Assets, Product offering, Tools and Service.
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2.30pm
Workshop - Business Succession Trust
- Trust Structure and Jurisdiction Options
- Key Governance Requirements
- Common Pitfalls and Mistakes
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3.00pm
Panel Discussion
What are the HNW Life Insurance Options?
- How do you choose? - Whole Life, Term Life, UL, VUL, IUL and PPLI.
- More product choice is confusing – how can we present the right opportunities to clients today?
- Key mistakes that clients make in choosing life insurance?
- What differences are you seeing between the needs of European clients’ and Clients in the Asia?
- One of the issues with Life Insurance is that everyone (providers and brokers) focus on products – apart from the client, who thinks about their actual needs? To what extent must this change?
- If you work directly with private clients, how should you begin the conversations, how should you then work with the specialist distributors and agencies to further advance these solutions for Asia’s private clients, and very importantly, how do you participate properly and legally in the fee income/commissions?
- Does the average private banker or EAM RM/advisor understand enough about the life products and solutions, or what needs to happen to boost their knowledge, engagement and involvement?
Chair
Speakers
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3.40pm
Refreshment & Networking
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4.00pm
Head - to - Head Q & A - How should Middle East UHNW Families optimize their investment Portfolio?
- Private markets
- Alpha vs passive
- Art and Science
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4.15pm
Panel Discussion
Empathy & Understanding in Wealth Structuring - the 'Softer' Side of Helping Families Succeed
- Wealth structuring is not only about technicalities and legalities, so what are the key ‘softer’ elements of the process that must be identified, addressed and then carefully managed?
- What role could or should the private banker of wealth advisor play in nurturing these wealthy families towards taking the right steps and including the different generations in the overall solutions?
- How do these families manage the right levels of communication and transparency throughout the process?
- How long does it all take and how patient do the participants need to be?
- How do you manage the gaps – sometimes chasms – in hopes and expectations between the different generations?
- Why are family cohesiveness and well-being so important in estate and succession planning?
- The Missing Piece in Holistic Continuity Audit: Integrative Family Dynamics
- How can families adapt if the younger generations do not wish to take over family businesses?
- What are the magic ingredients of a truly successful wealth & estate succession plan?
Chair
Speakers
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5.00pm
Forum Ends
HUBBIS WEALTH SOLUTIONS FORUM - Dubai 2023
InterContinental Dubai Festival City,United Arab Emirates


Marc-Andre Sola
1291 Group

Priyanka Roy Jivani
1291 Group

Mehrez Kheir
Abbey Road Investment

Midya Omar
Al Tamimi & Company

Asghar Abid
Bank of Singapore

Diana Hamade
Diana Hamade Attorneys at Law

Bryan Henning
Eton Solutions

Nirav Dinesh Kumar Shah
FAME Advisory DMCC

Philip Rosenberg
GAM Investments

Anuj R Kapoor
Grant Thornton

George Stoyanov
Grant Thornton

Tim Denton
Habib Bank AG Zurich

Philippe Amarante
Henley & Partners

Sunita Singh-Dalal
Hourani & Partners

Zain Satardien
Hourani & Partners

Aakriti Sharma
Hourani & Partners

Mark Smallwood
Hubbis

Philip Story
Investors Trust

Karim Ghandour
Legacy Line Family Office

Yann Mrazek
M/HQ

Nicholas Wright
Saxo

Damian Hitchen
Saxo

Tan Woon Hum
Shook Lin & Bok

Zac Lucas
Spencer West

Alastair Glover
Stephenson Harwood

David Varley
Sun Life

Dave Lange
Trident Trust
HUBBIS WEALTH SOLUTIONS FORUM - Dubai 2023
InterContinental Dubai Festival City,United Arab Emirates

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HUBBIS WEALTH SOLUTIONS FORUM - Dubai 2023
InterContinental Dubai Festival City,United Arab Emirates

Setting the Scene for the 2023 Forum
Approaching private clients on matters of wealth structuring and estate planning is difficult anywhere in the world, and perhaps especially sensitive in some parts of the Middle East. The September 20 Hubbis Wealth Solutions Forum (Dubai) will see an erudite group of expert speakers review the state of the wealth management industry in the region, and in particular survey the evolution of carefully planned and well-executed wealth, estate and succession planning and structuring, all from the perspective of the engagement with the client base and the nurturing of the right types of discussions around these important subjects.
The mission is to help unravel the nuances of the right approaches, and how the wealth industry and associated advisors can encourage private clients in the region to adopt the best products, solutions and structures to safeguard and build their investible wealth in their lifetimes, as well as to help facilitate the transition of their estate to their loved ones later on.
Estate and succession planning & solutions are certainly key areas for rising emphasis in the UAE, as the founder generations in the region age and as the younger generations return from overseas armed with their Western education. Moreover, the UAE is developing its wealth management, fiduciary and professional services skills and focus, in order to build its reputation as both a regional and indeed global centre for wealth structuring and solutions. How is that developing and what else is needed in the future, and why?
For wealth management to thrive in the UAE, there is accordingly no doubt that the quality of advice on investments, wealth structuring, and estate planning must all improve; hence there is a growing emphasis on both the professionalisation and related expansion of the products and solutions the broad remit of the wealth industry and professional services and fiduciary firms can offer in order to keep their private clients engaged, and well organised.
Join us on September 20 for what will be an insightful, informative, and thought-provoking event. And remember, to give you even more understanding of what you can expect from the 2023 event, you can CLICK HERE to view the Agenda and Speakers from our very successful 2022 event. And CLICK HERE to view selected reports from the 2022 Forum.
HUBBIS WEALTH SOLUTIONS FORUM - Dubai 2023
InterContinental Dubai Festival City,United Arab Emirates