Philanthropy & Education
Preserving Purpose Across Generations Through Waqf
Advisory on structuring and governing family endowments — a distinctly enduring vehicle for wealth preservation, philanthropy and family unity.
What is a family waqf?
A family waqf, or Awqaf, is a Shariah-compliant endowment in which assets are dedicated in perpetuity to defined purposes and beneficiaries. Because the endowed assets cannot be sold or divided, it offers business-owning families a durable vehicle for preserving both wealth and purpose.
How We Advise on Waqf & Endowments
01 — Waqf Structuring
Guidance on establishing an Awqaf aligned with the family's intent and Saudi regulation. Intent must be settled with care, because the structure is designed to be permanent.
02 — Governance of Purpose & Beneficiaries
Clear rules for how the endowment is administered over time, including who administers it and how successors are appointed.
03 — Integration With Family Strategy
Connecting the waqf to the family's wider wealth and legacy planning, so it reinforces the family's structure rather than sitting apart from it.
Who this is for
- Families exploring philanthropic structures
- Families exploring perpetual ownership vehicles
- Families seeking Shariah-aligned continuity vehicles
Our Process
Intent & Feasibility
Clarifying purpose and whether a waqf is the right vehicle.
Structuring
Designing the endowment, its assets and its beneficiaries.
Governance Design
Establishing administration, oversight and succession of trustees.
Establishment & Review
Formal establishment, with periodic governance review.
Have a question?
Answers to what business-owning families most often ask before their first conversation with us.
A waqf dedicates assets in perpetuity to specified purposes and beneficiaries under Shariah principles, administered by a nazir under the framework of the General Authority for Awqaf. Once endowed, the assets cannot be sold, inherited or divided, which is precisely what gives the structure its permanence.
By defining purpose and beneficiaries with care at the outset, then designing administration and trustee succession to function across generations. Many families use a waqf alongside, not instead of, their ownership structure — holding specific assets while the operating business transfers conventionally.
It can be, because endowed assets are protected from division and sale in a way few other structures achieve. It is also irreversible, which makes careful advice on intent and scope essential before anything is endowed.
Enquire About Waqf & Endowment Advisory
Every conversation is confidential. Nothing discussed leaves the room.