Ismael Hajjar

Spear’s Review

‘We’ve built the largest private client practice in the region,’ Ismael Hajjar, partner and head of international private wealth, says of PwC’s growth in the Middle East. Since joining the firm in 2022 from fellow Big Four firm EY, Hajjar has seen his team’s revenue skyrocket – with 2025 figures outperforming the previous year by 66 per cent. 

He pins the success down to his threefold focus: working with elite families on structuring, governance and family office establishment; assisting UHNWs moving to the region; and working with government agencies to support and shape programmes to attract family offices. 

It’s been a source of additional business for his team. The amiable tax adviser tells Spear’s: ‘When governmental agencies are speaking to individuals they’re trying to attract, they’ll often say, “We’ll introduce you to our own [external] adviser who can answer all of your questions.” That’ll then lead to us onboarding that person and supporting them on what they’re doing in the region.’

Adviser Profile

Ismael Hajjar is a partner at PwC Middle East where he leads the firm’s award-winning International Private Wealth & Family Office practice across the Middle East. With over 18 years of experience across Europe and the Middle East, he specialises in international tax and wealth structuring, family office and private capital advisory, serving high-net-worth individuals (HNWI), entrepreneurial families, family offices and royal households.

Ismael acts a trusted adviser to families, guiding them through complex cross-border matters and helping them to preserve, grow and transition their wealth across generations. In this context, he has contributed to building and currently serves family offices. This involved designing their strategy, operations and organisational structure as well as advising them on global tax matters.

In addition to his private client activities, Ismael also regularly advises and supports government entities across the GCC in the context of the design of HNWI / family office attraction programmes. He is a member of various wealth management industry committees and working groups.