Sanctuary, a member of the Summit Group fiduciary services organization, appointed Zaid Al Rawi as Managing Director, Middle East, effective July 2024. Al Rawi assumes a newly senior leadership position within the Dubai-based boutique advisory firm, operating from the United Arab Emirates to oversee regional expansion efforts.
In the appointment announcement, Sanctuary CEO Deepak Malhotra stated Al Rawi's "experience and understanding of the finance industry in the Middle East make him a valuable addition" and expressed confidence that "under his leadership, our presence and impact in the region will grow." Al Rawi will work alongside Sanctuary's senior leadership team to drive business growth and achieve the firm's strategic objectives. Al Rawi previously held various governance, advisory and project roles with Sanctuary since the firm's establishment in 2019, indicating a promotion from within the organization rather than an external hire.
Al Rawi brings 25 years of financial services experience across wealth management, private equity and real estate. He began his career in 1999 at Merrill Lynch in London, advising Middle Eastern family offices on investment structuring. In 2006 he relocated to Dubai as Sales Director for Barclays Wealth, covering the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey. From 2013 onward, Al Rawi shifted into private equity and real estate capital advisory, serving most recently as Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa region at M7 Real Estate and its spin-off Martley Capital, where he retains an advisory role. Al Rawi earned a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Mathematics and Management from King's College London.
Sanctuary operates as a boutique advisory firm offering fiduciary, tax, accounting and corporate services to entrepreneurs, families and businesses in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The firm was established in 2019 and joined Summit Group in January 2024 as part of Summit's strategy to expand its fiduciary services footprint in the Middle East, described by Sovereign Capital Partners (which backed the combination) as a high-growth market. Sanctuary maintains offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh and serves high and ultra-high net worth individuals alongside corporate clients navigating business establishment and regulatory requirements in the region.
The appointment signals Sanctuary's commitment to deepening its regional leadership capabilities as it integrates with Summit Group's global fiduciary platform. Given Al Rawi's track record in capital-raising and investor relations across MENA, his move to a full-time managing director role positions him to support Sanctuary's stated objective of expanding client relationships and service offerings among Middle Eastern investors and family offices, a client base with which his career has been consistently aligned.
