Case study 1: Sovereign Wealth Fund

Client overview

The client is a Sovereign Wealth Fund employing approximately 100 staff across the UAE, wider GCC and non-GCC jurisdictions. All employees were entitled to end of service benefits, and the organisation was in a position to fully fund its gratuity liability from the outset. The Fund also required a solution that complied with multiple labour law regimes while delivering a consistent and transparent employee benefit

Solution

Established an employee gratuity and savings plan compliant with all relevant labour laws
Fully funded the gratuity liability from launch
Provided employees with 24/7 secure online access to track gratuity and voluntary savings
Enabled all employees to participate in savings and investment options at institutional rates

Outcome

Gratuity liability effectively removed from the balance sheet, freeing management to focus on growth
Employees gained certainty that their gratuity was fully funded and protected
Enhanced employee engagement and retention through access to high-quality savings and investment options
Low implementation and ongoing costs, with flexibility to reward employees via employer contributions

Case study 2: Healthcare group

Client overview

The client is a large healthcare group with over 3,000 employees based in the UAE. While all employees were entitled to gratuity benefits, the organisation was only able to fund approximately 50% of its total gratuity liability at the point of implementation. Its primary objective was to reward long-term service and provide employees with confidence that their gratuity entitlements were properly safeguarded.

Solution

Implemented an employee gratuity and savings plan aligned with UAE labour law requirements
Agreed a phased funding plan to address the remaining gratuity liability over time
Appointed an independent investment adviser to support a steady growth investment strategy

Outcome

50% of gratuity liability removed from the balance sheet on day one
Investment strategy helped bridge the funding gap while managing risk appropriately
Reduced long-term cash flow pressure as investment growth supported ongoing plan costs
Improved employee confidence, engagement and retention

Case study 3: Listed financial services business

Client overview

The client is an ADX-listed financial services business operating a long-term incentive plan for a large employee population. The business needed to redomicile the plan into ADGM while maintaining continuity for participants
and meeting enhanced governance and regulatory expectations. It also required a sophisticated vesting and payout structure capable of handling both share and cashbased awards.

Solution

Redomiciled the long-term incentive plan to ADGM using a master trust and underlying holding company
Designed and implemented a complex vesting structure, including dividend retention and local term deposits
Appointed a leading securities service provider to manage share allocation on vesting
Provided a corporate trustee and directors, working closely with the client’s CHRO and HR teams

Outcome

ADGM-compliant, future-proof incentive structure aligned to regulatory and governance requirements
Efficient administration of share and cash awards across a large employee base
Clear, auditable vesting and payout processes for employees and management
Reduced operational risk and enhanced oversight of a critical reward programme