Building Legacies with Empathy: Nazneen Abbas on Wealth, Women, and Estate Planning

With over four decades in financial advisory, Nazneen Abbas has long operated at the intersection of wealth, legacy, real estate and family dynamics. But it was her own experience as a young widow, raising two children alone, that gave her work deeper personal meaning and led her to found Ma’an—an intergenerational financial planning platform built on empathy, clarity, and continuity.

Today, Ma’an serves families and businesses across the Gulf helping them structure their wealth across generations with empathy, clarity, and continuity at the core and Nazneen continues to lead estate and succession initiatives as Vice President at the Continental Group.

In this conversation with REM TIMES, she shares the personal story behind Ma’an, the evolving role of women in wealth planning, and why estate conversations are extremely crucial.

Q. What inspired you to launch Ma’an, and how does your personal journey continue to shape its mission today?

Ma’an was born totally out of my own life experiences. I was widowed at a very young age and left behind with two small children. That’s when I realized that money has its own legs - it moves, it travels, and it speaks a different language altogether, especially when it has to be passed on to the right inheritors.

Over the years, as a financial planner, I was approached by so many other widows who either felt they hadn't received what was rightfully theirs or didn’t know how to claim it. They would come to me asking, “Do you have any solutions for us? Can you help us out?” At the time, I felt helpless. But when I found a real opportunity to help and offer something meaningful, I knew I had to act. That’s how Ma’an was born.

In Arabic, ‘Ma’an’ means together and in Hindi and Urdu, ‘maan’ and ‘samman’ translate to respect. Bringing both cultures together, Ma’an stands for living together with respect.

Q. How involved should real estate advisors and brokers be in the estate planning conversation?

Unfortunately, most real estate professionals stop at the sale. I’ve seen joint property owners misled into thinking the surviving spouse automatically inherits. That’s not how it works here. In the UAE, survivorship rules don’t apply like they do in some other jurisdictions.

And many advisors themselves aren’t aware of this. They need to be aware of the laws first. If they want to give proper, holistic service, they need to offer the right solutions. This is one of the most important ones: estate planning. It may just be a simple will but it makes a difference. So, yes, real estate professionals should absolutely be part of this conversation. But they must be willing to understand the law fully and provide holistic advice.

Q. As a woman who has built a career in financial advisory and legacy planning, what unique challenges or opportunities do you see for women in managing and passing on wealth?

Traditionally, people point to Islamic inheritance law and say, “A wife gets only 12%.” But that’s not the full picture. Historically, a woman could inherit from her husband, her father, her son, and her brother. The intent was for her needs to be met from multiple sources.

And the UAE has evolved with the times. Now, you make your own will, write what you want, make your own foundations, pass on your wealth the way you want.

I wouldn’t say there are many limitations now. But most of the time, women hold themselves back from engaging in these decisions. It’s time we see ourselves as equal contributors, with equal rights to shape the future.

Q. How do you envision Ma’an evolving over the next few years? Are there new services, technologies, or markets you're looking to explore?

What I want to manifest is that Ma’an becomes a household name. Not in terms of being a vast business house but in terms of people having this conversation: “Have you made sure that, after you, your family can continue living with respect and dignity?”

I want conversations like that to be the norm. That’s where Ma’an comes in, to help people live with respect and dignity. And we give genuine, clear solutions to clients, very transparently.

We already offer a service that evolves with your life. We don’t do “cut-paste” wills. Each situation is different. A 50-50 split on paper doesn’t always reflect what’s fair in real life. We help families think that through.

We’ve also created something called the ‘Peace of Mind’ booklet, it’s a practical guide that we give to all our clients. And we stay in touch each year to update it. Because a will isn’t something you write once and forget. Life changes. Families change. Hence, your plan should too.

Q. What are some misconceptions people have about wills and succession planning—especially in fast-growing markets like the UAE?

One big misconception is that this kind of planning is only for the very wealthy. Whether you have a single child or multiple heirs, a single apartment or several investments - if you care about where it goes, you need a plan.

Some people say, “My children will understand each other.” But emotions run high when assets are involved. Others say, “I’m still buying and selling; I’ll wait until things settle.” But there’s never a perfect time.

The other confusion comes from terminology. Estate planning, inheritance planning, legacy planning, succession planning - it all sounds intimidating. But the principle is simple: decide what happens to what you own. That’s it.

Q. Looking ahead, what’s next for Ma’an? Are there plans to expand services, deepen your presence in the Gulf, or tap into new markets?

We will evolve alongside the UAE and the Gulf. About 15-20 years ago, we would never have imagined that expats could write wills here. Then came civil law and common law options through DIFC and ADGM. Now even expat Muslims can write wills. New options are still evolving.

We want to stay aligned with these changes and expand our services accordingly because jurisdictions like DIFC and ADGM are becoming globally important for wealth protection. As the government evolves, so will we. As the region grows more sophisticated, our role within it will deepen.

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