Dominic Volek

For many years, residence and citizenship planning sat on the periphery of private banking conversations - acknowledged but rarely integrated into mainstream portfolio advice. That is now changing rapidly. In an era of geopolitical uncertainty, shifting tax regimes, and increasingly mobile ultra-wealthy families, jurisdictional diversification and optionality has become as relevant as asset allocation.

​​​​​​​The United Arab Emirates has moved from regional outlier to global contender with unusual speed. Capital and families are arriving; regulators are iterating; professional services are scaling. Yet growth alone does not make a durable hub. The real test is whether the ecosystem can institutionalise quality, integrate cross-border strategies, and deliver outcomes that stand up to scrutiny five, ten and twenty years from now.

As India's wealthy families confront an increasingly complex web of succession, governance, and cross-border structuring issues, legal advisers are no longer confined to document drafting or tax mitigation. They are becoming strategic partners in navigating both family dynamics and future-proof estate planning. Divi Dutta, Partner at Khaitan & Co, brings nearly two decades of legal advisory experience to this evolving field.