Foundations & Trusts

Clear, practical legal support for foundations & trusts in the UAE, helping you protect your rights, family, assets and future.

Foundations & Trusts

Whether you need a Shariah-compliant Foundation for succession planning or a legal structure to protect and pass on digital assets, we design and implement the right vehicle – aligned with your values, your family’s needs, and the UAE’s regulatory frameworks.

In-depth description

For clients seeking a succession and asset protection structure that is both legally robust and aligned with Islamic principles, Foundations offer a compelling solution. Established in the DIFC or ADGM, a Foundation functions similarly to a trust – holding and managing assets for the benefit of designated beneficiaries – but is structured to be fully Shari’ah-compliant.

We specialize in setting up these structures, managing everything from the initial design and governance framework to the legal drafting and formal registration. A Shari’ah-compliant Foundation can hold real estate, investment portfolios, and other assets, providing a flexible and faith-aligned vehicle for succession planning, asset protection, and multigenerational wealth management.

For clients with digital assets, we also structure Foundation arrangements that address the unique custody and access challenges cryptocurrency and tokenized assets present – ensuring your digital wealth is as protected and transferable as your traditional holdings.


Shariah-Compliant Foundation Setup

For clients seeking a succession planning tool that aligns with Islamic principles, we specialize in setting up Foundations. Often established in the DIFC or ADGM, a Foundation acts like a trust for asset protection and succession but is structured to be fully compliant with Shari’ah law, providing a powerful, flexible, and faith-aligned planning vehicle.

Scope of work

  • Conduct a detailed consultation on using a Foundation for asset protection and succession in compliance with Islamic principles.
  • Advise on the optimal jurisdiction (e.g., DIFC, ADGM).
  • Draft the Foundation’s Charter and By-Laws to reflect the founder’s wishes and Shari’ah compliance.
  • Manage the entire registration process with the chosen authority.
  • Assist with the transfer of assets into the newly established Foundation.

Deliverables

  • A bespoke, Shari’ah-compliant Foundation Charter and By-Laws.
  • The officially registered Foundation.
  • Assistance with the initial asset transfer.

Pricing

  • AED 40,000 and hourly rate (Fixed Fee for the set-up and hourly rate for the advisory services)


Comprehensive Estate Planning (Crypto)

We offer a cutting-edge estate planning service specifically for digital assets. We address the unique challenges of cryptocurrency and NFTs, creating legal structures and practical protocols to ensure your chosen fiduciaries can securely access, manage, and distribute your digital wealth to your heirs, preventing it from being lost forever.

Scope of work

  • Conduct in-depth workshops to inventory the client’s digital assets (cryptocurrencies, NFTs, wallets).
  • Design a legal and practical strategy for the secure management and transfer of these assets.
  • Develop a Fiduciary Access Protocol detailing how keys and passwords can be securely accessed by trustees or heirs.
  • Draft specialized clauses within Wills and Trusts to explicitly govern digital assets.

Deliverables

  • A Comprehensive Estate Plan tailored for digital assets.
  • A secure Fiduciary Access Protocol document.
  • Custom-drafted Wills and Trusts including specific digital asset provisions.

Pricing

  • AED 50,000 onward (Hourly rate)

Is your succession plan as flexible as your wealth requires?

Do you want full control over how your wealth is passed on?

A Foundation lets you decide exactly who inherits what and when, free from default succession rules that may not suit you.

Are you concerned about forced heirship rules in your country?

French and many civil-law jurisdictions impose mandatory inheritance shares. A Foundation can lawfully bypass these rules.

Do you want to protect assets across multiple generations?

A Foundation acts as a lasting structure that holds, manages, and distributes wealth according to your specific wishes.

Do you need a Shariah-compliant succession structure?

A DIFC or ADGM Foundation can hold assets and manage succession in full compliance with Islamic law where required.

Frequently asked questions

A foundation is a separate legal entity, like a company but without shareholders, that holds and manages assets. A trust is a legal relationship where a trustee holds assets for beneficiaries without a separate legal entity. Foundations are often preferred in civil law and Islamic law contexts.
A properly structured foundation can provide a degree of creditor protection, particularly for future creditors. However, transfers made to defeat existing creditors can be reversed by courts as fraudulent conveyance. Timing, genuine transfer of control, and professional structuring are all critical.
 
DIFC and ADGM foundations are internationally recognised. Shariah-compliant structures have specific features, such as compliance with inheritance shares, but operate within the same internationally respected DIFC/ADGM legal framework, giving them strong cross-border recognition.
A foundation is governed by its charter and managed by a council or board, which may include the founder. The founder can retain significant influence through reserved rights, council membership and a letter of wishes, but some genuine transfer of control is typically needed for the structure to be effective.

The setup process typically takes two to four weeks once all documents and information are in order. It involves preparing the foundation charter, registering with the DIFC Authority, appointing a council, and transferring assets. More complex structures or multi-jurisdiction planning may take longer.

Key contacts:

Romain Astruc

Managing Partner – Generalist, Advisory & Litigation

Mehdi Al Ghafari

Associate – Corporate, Commercial & Litigation

David Dutruc-Rosset

Associate – Family, Individuals & Litigation

Get in touch

Other services you might need

Foundations and trusts sit at the heart of a complete succession and asset protection strategy. These services complete the picture.

Estate Planning - Wills, Foundations & Trusts

We integrate your foundation or trust into a holistic estate plan covering every jurisdiction where you hold assets.
Learn more

Asset Protection & Tax Planning for Individuals

Your structure only delivers its full benefit when paired with a sound personal tax and asset protection strategy.
Learn more

UAE Wills - DIFC, ADGM & Dubai Court Wills

A foundation manages governance and transmission. A UAE Will ensures your remaining assets are fully covered alongside it.
Learn more

WHAT SET US APART

Why ASTRUC & Co

We design foundations and trusts that are robust in practice, not just technically correct on paper. Structure follows substance.

1.

DIFC & ADGM expertise

We set up and advise on foundations and trusts in both DIFC and ADGM – knowing the differences and selecting the right jurisdiction for your specific objectives and asset

2.

Cross-border fluency

Foundations must work in every jurisdiction where you have assets or heirs. We ensure your structure is recognised and effective across the UAE, France and other relevant

3.

Senior counsel only

Foundation and trust structuring decisions are consequential and hard to reverse. Every engagement is led by senior lawyers – not associates applying standard templates

More than legal counsel

With you, all the way

Life in the UAE brings extraordinary opportunities — and equally complex legal realities. Whether you’re relocating your family, navigating a divorce across jurisdictions, or structuring an inheritance that spans continents, you deserve a legal partner who understands both the technicalities and the human side of what you’re going through. At ASTRUC & Co, we treat every client’s situation as if it were our own.

From our offices in Dubai to our network spanning Riyadh, Paris, and Luxembourg, we bring senior-level attention to every matter — personal or financial. We believe the best legal advice is honest, clear, and delivered by someone who genuinely cares about the outcome. That’s why our clients stay with us, and why they come back when life presents its next chapter.

Ready to move forward?

Talk to our team about your situation. We’ll walk you through your options and help you move forward with clarity.

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