The Gulf’s money is on the move, and the future of investing won’t look like the past. 

As the Gulf prepares for one of its most consequential generational transitions, a sweeping change is taking shape: how inherited capital is being invested, and by whom. The new generation is demanding digital access, alternative assets, and infrastructure that can carry on their families’ legacies while backing the next generation of innovation. 

A $1T generational wealth transfer

Across the Gulf, families are preparing to pass down management of their assets, which have been built, in many cases, over several generations. Recent reports suggest successors across the region are set to inherit upward of $1 trillion in assets over the next decade. 

It’s not in the distant future. These trends are already taking shape:

• Generational transfer in progress. Nearly 70% of family offices have already transitioned to second or third-generation leadership. 
• Rapid formalization. About 25% of MENA family offices have been established in the past five years, reflecting the institutionalization of family wealth. 
• Next-gen ambition. 59% of next-generation family members want to join the family business; 56% want to work in the family office.

As we see this transformation underway, it’s clear that the future will be more than a change in management. We’re set to see new expectations, values, and portfolio strategies taking center stage.

New investors want digital access and diversification

The ones taking over family wealth and asset management have been shaped by the era of mobile banking, online investing, and an ever-expanding range of asset classes. They are also hungry for data and information to help them make informed decisions.

For them:

1. Digital infrastructure is the new expectation. They aren’t satisfied with slow onboarding, outdated communication, and in-person signatures. They expect fully digitized investor onboarding and due diligence, automated compliance, and stakeholder control at their fingertips.
2. Alternative assets are core to portfolio management. Family offices have traditionally invested most of their holdings in real estate, equities, and debt (or cash) - but younger next-generation investors are showing interest in emerging assets across private markets, hedge funds, and digital securities. 
3. Global diversification is critical. Many next-generation investors are globally educated or based abroad, and with large pools of capital to deploy, they want to form new partnerships and invest in global innovation.
   

The takeaway? Younger money managers are native to a digitized and democratized world - these lived experiences will show in their approach to investing.

How private markets are bridging the gap

The private markets investment landscape has steadily matured over the years, with improvements in governance, exit opportunities, and a growing base of attractive investment opportunities.

These improvements in the ecosystem pave the way for the family office industry to increase its participation in venture capital and private equity. In fact, nearly 80% of investors plan to allocate more capital to private equity over the next 12 months. Preqin reports that investors are most confident about private equity and venture capital amongst all other asset classes in the near future. 

Here’s what makes private markets attractive to family office managers:

• Private markets offer value alignment for family offices that want to continue investing with their family values, while also adopting new values of the younger generation, such as social responsibility, human rights, or religious principles. 
• They accommodate bespoke structures (co-investments, SPVs, syndicates, direct deals), which appeal to investors seeking control and customization. SFOs are already exercising their co-investment abilities, as a surveyed 73.5% reported they have direct co-investments in private companies. 
• They also offer diversification from the standard portfolio and access to the innovation economy, which has the potential to deliver alpha and hedge against traditional market risks.
  

However, the demand for private markets exposure needs to be met with infrastructure that is trustworthy, reliable, and scalable to serve the needs of younger money managers. 

That’s where Zest comes in. 

What can private market infrastructure do to adapt 

At Zest, we believe that an entirely new way of executing transactions will be required to mobilize the next trillion dollars of private capital. Manual spreadsheets and wet-ink signatures are a thing of the past. 

Investors need:

• Systems that are digitized across onboarding, execution, and stakeholder management.
• Transaction infrastructure that is modular, scalable, and asset-agnostic. 
• Platforms that are secure, trustworthy, and compliant, with clear transparency into reporting and communications.

By lowering friction and embedding institutional guardrails, Zest is building transaction infrastructure where capital meets clarity, enabling the region’s legacy wealth to move confidently into the future.