Three in four expatriate parents in the UAE have no written plan for their children’s care, study finds
For many expatriate families in the UAE, the question of who would raise the children if something happened to their parents is settled only as an understanding between adults. A new study finds that for the large majority of expatriate parents, that understanding has never been put in writing, leaving the care of their children to informal agreement rather than legal documentation.
The study, carried out by YouGov among 1,014 UAE expatriate residents in September 2026 and commissioned by the estate planning platform Blanket, found that three in four expatriate parents have not formally documented who would care for their children if something happened to them. Only 24 percent of parents with children under 18 said they had formally documented guardianship arrangements. A further 25 percent had discussed or agreed on who would care for their children without recording it, while 22 percent had not considered the matter at all.
Confidence, in other words, runs well ahead of paperwork. Some 73 percent of parents said they were confident their families could identify their wishes for their children or dependants, a contrast that points to a gap between perceived preparedness and formal documentation.
The documentation gap extends to wills. Nearly half of respondents, or 49 percent, had not started one, and 14 percent had begun the process but had yet to complete it. Although 36 percent said they had a will in place, only 20 percent reported that their documents were up to date. Assumptions about inheritance add a further layer of uncertainty: 56 percent believed their assets would automatically pass to their spouse or partner following their death, yet only 49 percent said they understood what would happen to their assets if they died while living as expatriates in the UAE.
Preparation was lowest among older residents. Among expatriates aged 45 and above, 64 percent had not started a will and only 22 percent had one in place. By comparison, 45 percent of those aged 25 to 34 reported having a will. The same pattern appeared in guardianship: only 12 percent of parents aged 45 and above had formally documented who would care for their children, compared with 31 percent of parents aged 25 to 34.
Meanwhile, the findings come as the UAE continues to attract property buyers, entrepreneurs and families seeking long-term residency and investment opportunities. Figures cited in the report show that more than 3,200 residents had become first-time homeowners through Dubai’s First-Time Home Buyer Programme by June 2026, generating more than AED 5 billion in residential property transactions. In September, the UAE government also reported that small and medium-sized enterprises and startups accounted for more than 95 percent of companies nationwide and contributed over 63 percent of non-oil gross domestic product.
The survey recorded deep financial roots alongside that settlement. Some 30 percent of respondents owned a business or company in the UAE, 27 percent held shares or equity in a local business, 29 percent owned residential property in the country, and 55 percent held bank, investment or cryptocurrency accounts there. Despite these commitments, estate planning appeared to receive less attention than other personal priorities. Some 36 percent of respondents said they had spent more time on fitness or wellness over the previous year than on their will, 32 percent had devoted more time to planning holidays, and 30 percent had spent more time managing investments.
Anton Pirinen, founder and CEO of Blanket, said the findings reflected a gap between the lives expatriates were building in the UAE and the arrangements they had made to protect their families. “The UAE has become somewhere people come to build a future,” he said, noting that expatriates were “buying homes, establishing businesses and raising their children here” while the arrangements they have in place “don’t reflect the lives they’re creating.” He said the findings on guardianship and the differences between age groups challenged the assumption that estate planning would naturally become a priority later in life. For residents building long-term futures in the country, he added, putting appropriate arrangements in place should form part of that process.
Blanket was established by Pirinen, a lawyer who was part of the founding team at Wio bank, to help expatriates navigate estate planning when their families, assets and responsibilities span multiple countries. The platform combines technology with legal expertise and offers UAE will services, alongside support for wills in the UK and India. It has also introduced a same-day will service, with customers assigned a dedicated expert to guide them through the process. The company says its services are designed to make estate planning more accessible to residents seeking to document their wishes and establish arrangements for their families and assets. According to Pirinen, Blanket is also exploring opportunities to expand into Saudi Arabia, taking into account the Kingdom’s legal framework and the needs of the local market. More information is available at www.blanket.ae.