Abu Dhabi convenes family business leaders on generational succession

Abu Dhabi has established itself as a centre for the careful stewardship of dynastic enterprise. The inaugural Forbes Middle East Family Business Summit, held under the patronage of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism at Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas on Saadiyat Island, brought together the architects of regional economic continuity: family business proprietors, senior government officials, and specialists in the transmission of wealth and values across generations.

The two day gathering, presented by First Abu Dhabi Bank, assembled more than sixty speakers and attracted some three thousand participants to engage in substantive dialogue around a single, enduring challenge: how enterprises built on family vision, capital and values navigate the transition to new leadership whilst remaining true to their founding purpose.

The summit’s opening day centred on the recognition of excellence within family enterprise. Forbes Middle East’s Top Arab Family Businesses 2026 list was honoured in an awards ceremony that acknowledged not merely commercial achievement, but the role these organisations play in sustaining economic vitality and demonstrating the viability of succession across generations. The recognition reflected the calibre of the entrepreneurs gathered: leaders for whom business represents a legacy, not merely a transaction.

Governance, succession planning and intelligent transformation anchored the substantive programme. These are the disciplines that separate enduring family enterprises from those that fragment under the pressure of transition. The conversations acknowledged a particular sophistication required of contemporary family businesses: the capacity to preserve heritage whilst remaining responsive to evolving market conditions, technological change and shifting economic landscapes.

Stewardship and Strategic Vision

Futoon Hamdan Al Mazrouei, Group Head of Personal, Business, Wealth and Privileged Client Banking Group at First Abu Dhabi Bank, articulated the philosophy that animated the summit: that the enduring success of family businesses depends upon strategic vision capable of balancing the preservation of family heritage with the pursuit of innovation. This is the central tension of dynastic enterprise, one that requires both reverence for what has been built and the intellectual flexibility to imagine what might yet be.

First Abu Dhabi Bank’s presence as presenting partner reflected a deeper commitment to the family business community. The institution positions itself as a trusted financial collaborator, providing the expertise and resources required to navigate opportunity, manage complexity and construct legacies of lasting impact. For family businesses operating within an increasingly complex regulatory and commercial environment, such partnership carries considerable weight.

Khuloud Al Omian, Chief Executive Officer and Editor in Chief of Forbes Middle East, described the summit’s purpose as creating a convening space where the experience of established generations might engage with the perspectives of emerging leaders. It is this generational dialogue, perhaps more than any single panel discussion, that determines whether family enterprises will thrive across the decades ahead.

Imagery courtesy of Forbes Middle East Family Business Summit.