Abu Dhabi hosts fourth gathering of the world’s leading family business minds

The Global Owners and Family Office Congress brings together international family business leaders to explore governance, succession planning and the role of innovation in shaping generational wealth

The fourth Global Owners and Family Office Congress has drawn to a close in Abu Dhabi, convening family business leaders, family office executives, investors and entrepreneurs from across the world. Organised by Campden Wealth in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Family Business Council, an affiliate of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the congress centred on the theme “The Power of Family Capital to Deliver Change”.

The three-day gathering examined the currents reshaping family enterprise today: governance and succession structures, the cultivation of next-generation leadership, global private wealth trajectories, long-term investment strategies and alternative investments, alongside the emerging possibilities presented by artificial intelligence and advanced technologies in supporting innovation and sustainable economic growth.

Khaled Abdulkarim Al Fahim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Family Business Council and Board Member of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, opened the congress by articulating three foundational pillars upon which family business durability rests: the development of robust governance systems, the adoption of innovation and advanced technologies, and the preparation of emerging leaders equipped to navigate economic transformation and forge future growth.

Abu Dhabi’s selection to host the Global Owners and Family Office Congress across the next three years, Al Fahim noted, signals the emirate’s ascendant position within the global family investment landscape. The selection creates pathways for engagement, knowledge exchange and long-term investment partnerships between Abu Dhabi’s family businesses and their international peers.

Al Fahim underscored the historic role family businesses have played in sculpting Abu Dhabi’s economic trajectory. Their contribution, he stressed, extends beyond adapting to change; they have been architects of transformation, establishing commercial enterprises, developing infrastructure, investing in hospitality and drawing international brands to the emirate. Their long-term outlook has enabled them to mature alongside Abu Dhabi’s economy, sustained by institutional stability, enduring relationships and sustained commitment to the markets and communities they serve.

Looking forward, Al Fahim emphasised that preserving a family’s economic legacy demands more than adherence to traditional management models. It requires readiness for technological transformation and strengthened governance frameworks. The Abu Dhabi Family Business Council’s collaboration with the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence exemplifies this commitment, enabling family businesses to harness artificial intelligence applications to enhance management, governance and decision making processes.

Generational transition emerges as one of the most significant strategic challenges confronting family enterprises globally. It demands early planning, clear governance frameworks and meaningful involvement of future generations in decision-making processes. The Council’s Next Generation Family Business Leaders Programme recently sent its inaugural cohort from Abu Dhabi to Lausanne, Switzerland, for structured leadership development.

Al Fahim stressed that investing in future leaders ranks equally with investing in assets and projects, given its indispensable role in ensuring continuity and competitiveness amid rapid economic change. He highlighted the mutual trust and long-standing commercial relationships woven across generations as defining strengths of Abu Dhabi’s family business community, enhancing the emirate’s appeal to international investment families seeking stable business environments and enduring partnerships.

The Abu Dhabi Family Business Council, established two years ago by the Abu Dhabi Chamber, advances family business sustainability and growth through three primary avenues: strengthening governance and succession readiness, developing future leaders, and expanding international networks and partnerships. Recent outreach to family offices in London exemplifies the Council’s efforts to deepen international engagement and broaden the international investment presence of Abu Dhabi’s family businesses.

Al Fahim concluded by observing that the future of family businesses is shaped not solely by wealth transmitted through generations, but by the value each generation contributes to the legacy inherited. He called upon family business leaders and investment office executives to transform dialogue and knowledge exchange into relationships and partnerships that resonate beyond the moment, building a sustainable economic legacy for generations to come.

Source: WAM