Toronto-headquartered Manulife, a leading international financial services provider, is seeing growing demand for Shariah-compliant wealth planning solutions across the the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) region, as affluent families place greater emphasis on succession planning, family continuity and long-term wealth preservation, according to Ms Bonnie Qiu, CEO of Manulife Global High-Net-Worth.
To meet their needs, Manulife has announced the launch of Manulife Maseera Indexed Takaful (MMIT), a wealth protection and legacy planning solution for affluent families and business owners across the MENASA region.
Developed over more than two years with input from global experts and Shariah scholars and backed by Manulife’s global financial strength and governance, the solution is designed to support long-term wealth preservation, family continuity and intergenerational transfer.
Manulife has supported high-net-worth clients in the region since 2012 and established its Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) office in 2025, reinforcing its long-term commitment to the UAE and strengthening its presence in one of the world's fastest-growing wealth centres. The DIFC office serves as a strategic hub connecting Manulife’s Global High-Net-Worth platform across Bermuda, Hong Kong, Singapore and UAE, supporting the company’s ability to serve internationally connected families and respond to evolving wealth planning needs across the region.
Ms Qiu said, “While the region has a well-established takaful market, there remains a need for more sophisticated solutions that address the evolving protection, liquidity and legacy planning needs of high-net-worth families.”
MMIT incorporates a range of features designed to support long-term wealth planning, including liquidity access, growth opportunities linked to the S&P 500 Sharia Index and optional Hibah nomination to facilitate the transfer of assets in accordance with Islamic principles.
Manulife supports more than 37m customers globally, manages approximately $1.24tn in assets and operates across 25 markets worldwide.