Emirates Family Office Association And MEVCA Forge Strategic Partnership

The partnership will see two, leading UAE-born associations collaborate to launch carefully curated, closed-door initiatives fostering knowledge sharing, creating networking opportunities and building a robust ecosystem to enable Family Offices, venture capital firms and investors in the Middle East, EFOA said in a media release.

Each association’s strengths will be harnessed to promote best practice, innovation, connectivity and thought leadership in the region’s private capital ecosystem, it said.

The partnership envisages organising a series of bespoke member events and workshops, exploring topics such as wealth preservation, asset class allocation and how to effectively engage with Family Offices in early and growth stage investments.

“Emphasis will be placed on membership engagement, with both associations committing to develop safe and trusted platforms to enable Family Offices and venture capital firms to engage with one another, share best practices and learn about opportunities and challenges in private markets,” EFOA said in a release.

Adam Ladjadj, Founder and Chairman of EFOA, said in recent years, the association has seen great interest from the next generation in allocating to alternative assets, particularly venture capital.

“We have entered this collaboration to enable families with all the necessary tools, knowledge and access – should they need it – to explore this growing asset class with confidence, so they can benefit from its great opportunities,” he said.

Omar Alkhawaja, Vice Chairman of MEVCA, said the partnership is evidence of MEVCA’s commitment to supporting and enabling the Middle East’s private capital ecosystem.

“Through educational panels, workshops and networking events, MEVCA and EFOA members will be able to connect and collaborate impactfully, while learning how the ecosystem’s two sectors can work together optimally to drive forward regional growth, ” he said.

The partnership comes in the wake of the rapid growth of the Middle East’s Family Office and venture capital ecosystems in recent years. H1 2024 venture capital funding in the UAE and Saudi Arabia totalled $637 million, amid ever-increasing interest of the next generation in alternative assets.