Key insights from the Global Family Office Compensation Benchmark Report 2025 reveal how the Middle East is emerging to be a powerhouse in the Family Office landscape.

The region is entering a new era of Family Office evolution. Fuelled by vast wealth creation, generational transfer, and supportive government incentives, the number of Family Offices across the Middle East is increasing rapidly.

Our latest Global Family Office Compensation Benchmark Report shows that while many Family Offices are newly formed, they are professionalising at remarkable speed – adopting international standards in structure, pay and governance while tailoring their approach to reflect local values, traditions, and family priorities.

Rapid Professionalisation and a Growth Mindset

A defining theme of 2025 is the pace of professionalisation.

Only 10% of Family Office CEOs in the Middle East are now family members, compared to 75% in 2023, showing a remarkable sign of growing professionalisation across the region. Once overseen primarily by founding family members, many are now evolving into multi-generational, professionally run entities with defined operating models and governance frameworks.

Market maturity is also becoming evident. Our data shows an even split between Family Offices that have been operating for 2–5 years and those established for over 10 years, reflecting both accelerating new formations and growing longevity.

The scale of wealth under management is significant. The majority of Middle Eastern Family Offices (29%) oversee between USD $501M–$1BN, while 7% manage over USD $5.1BN.

This evolution marks a fundamental shift in mindset, from reactive wealth management to proactive legacy building. It is no surprise, then, that 75% of Family Offices identify risk-adjusted growth as their primary objective.

This strategic pivot is fuelling demand for experienced executives, particularly Chief Financial Officers, Chief Operating Officers, and Investment Directors, who can manage the growing complexities of wealth preservation, succession planning, and global investment diversification.

From Regional Hubs to Global Networks

The UAE continues to dominate the Middle East’s Family Office space, with 86% of those surveyed being based there. This indicates the country’s emergence as the undisputed hub of the Middle East. With its stable regulatory environment, sophisticated financial infrastructure, and attractive tax framework, the UAE, particularly Dubai and Abu Dhabi, continues to consolidate its position as the destination of choice for both established and newly formed Family Offices.

At the same time, Middle Eastern Family Offices are becoming increasingly international in outlook. 41% now operate more than one office globally, among the highest proportions worldwide. Among these, nearly 60% have established a secondary base in Europe, often in financial centres such as London, Zurich, or Luxembourg.

The global expansion also mirrors the growing global mobility of talent. While the Middle East hosts significant wealth, the region has a limited pool of experienced professionals who come from Family Offices or a wealth management background. As a result, Family Offices are increasingly recruiting executives from Europe, North America, and Asia, bringing in expertise they honed in mature markets.

However, this evolution also creates new challenges: competition for top-tier talent is intensifying. To remain competitive, leading Family Offices are investing in clearer pay structures, transparent bonus schemes, and long-term incentives to attract and retain the best professionals.

Compensation and Incentives

As the regional Family Office market matures, compensation strategies are becoming more sophisticated and globally aligned, though there is still room for further refinement.

Key findings from the report include:

  • The most common CEO salary range is USD $330,001–$396,000, with 8% earning USD $1 million or more annually.
  • For CIOs, the range is slightly wider at USD $264,001–$396,000.
  • 93% of surveyed professionals received a performance bonus, the highest globally, reflecting a strong focus on rewarding good performance and incentivising employees.
  • 27% of executives receive a Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP).
  • Among those who receive an LTIP, the majority receive 3/5 year rolling target based bonus.
  • 63% of respondents received a compensation uplift, with 46% reporting an uplift of 6-10%.

These trends highlight a defining feature of Middle Eastern Family Offices: a growing commitment to performance-linked pay, structured incentives, and professional benchmarking. Together, these approaches strengthen retention, align executive motivation with family objectives, and embed a performance culture that supports long-term legacy building.

The Middle East’s Family Offices are evolving faster than ever, becoming larger, more structured, and more globally connected. As this transformation continues, success will depend on balancing professional structure with cultural authenticity, ensuring that compensation, governance, and purpose remain aligned.

At Agreus, we are proud to support this journey, offering the data, insight, and expertise that help Family Offices across the Middle East build enduring, professional, and people-focused organisations.

To explore detailed data by region, role, and compensation category, download the full Global Family Office Compensation Benchmark Report or speak to us for tailored insights on compensation strategy and recruitment trends across the Middle East.