Luxembourg is a global centre for investment funds, the second largest fund jurisdiction in the world, after the United States. It is the largest centre for funds in Europe, with over Euro 4.5 trillion in cumulative assets under management in supervised funds alone.

Why setup an investment fund in Luxembourg?

The country is:

• A founding member of the EU.
• Politically stable.
• Financially stable.
• AAA-rated.

It has:

• Access to over 500 million EU residents.
• Reliable investment regulations.
• Over 4,200 supervised investment vehicles with around 14,500 sub-funds.
• A competitive framework for passporting of funds within the EU.
• Luxembourg funds are sold in more than 70 countries and is the leading jurisdiction for fund distribution.
• A responsive and globally recognized financial regulator.

It offers:

• A wide range of supervised and non-supervised investment funds.
• UCITS and AIFs.
• Umbrella funds.
• Non-supervised funds.

Tax benefits:

• Depending on the need of investors, Luxembourg offers tax exempt, tax neutral or taxable investment vehicles,
• Some exemptions for VAT payments;
• Funds may access Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty benefits or establish SPVs that would have access.

Luxembourg funds and the GCC:

Luxembourg is a jurisdiction of choice for investors based in the GCC. While the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) also offer fund structures, Luxembourg funds have more diverse options, including SLPs – that can be unsupervised and allow for greater flexibility for lower AUMs.

Luxembourg is an excellent jurisdiction for startup funds due to lower setup and maintenance costs, in some cases, as low as 35% of the costs in similar onshore jurisdictions in the GCC. They can be established quickly, are more flexible and can easily be upgraded to supervised or passportable funds once higher AUMs are achieved.

Luxembourg funds can also be managed from the DIFC (and ADGM), by setting up a restricted fund manager. This allows for greater comfort to prospective investors, besides opening an option for directly marketing and passporting the fund within the UAE.

Most large banks and investment managers in the UAE and the GCC have Luxembourg fund options. In fact, Luxembourg domiciled investment funds dominate among foreign funds sold in the GCC.

United Arab Emirates – 64% of foreign funds are Luxembourg funds:

Saudi Arabia – 50%

Kuwait – 75%

Bahrain – 75%

Oman – 99%

Qatar – 98%

What is a SICAV?

A SICAV (société d’investissement à capital variable) is an investment company type in Luxembourg. It has variable share capital. A SICAV is a legal form that can be chosen under different investment fund regimes.

The capital varies, and is always equal to the net asset value, or NAV, of the company. This value is arrived at by deducting the values of the liabilities from the assets of the SICAV.

The capital of a SICAV also fluctuates, depending the asset valuation, as well as the subscriptions and redemptions of shares in the fund.

SICAV in Luxembourg

Luxembourg is a leading jurisdiction for investment funds and the second largest investment fund centre in the world after the United States. It is the largest fund jurisdiction in the European Union, with more than Euro five trillion of assets under management.

A big advantage is choice. Fund managers can choose the level of supervision they require, depending on the kind of clients that the fund will market itself to. Accordingly, hedge funds can be unsupervised (such as SLPs), supervised (such as SIFs) or attach themselves with a supervised AIFM (such as RAIFs).

A Luxembourg structure also offers comfort to investors, given the good reputation of the jurisdiction, the enhanced protections offered to investors and the existing network of globally-recognised service providers.

The country is a politically and financially stable EU country with a AAA-Rating. As a jurisdiction within the European Union, funds established in Luxembourg can be more easily distributed within the EU on the basis of existing passporting rights for EU funds.

How fast can a SICAV be set up in Luxembourg?

The time to setup depends on whether the fund or compartment is a supervised or non-supervised fund. A non-supervised fund can be set up within 2 weeks, while a supervised structure can take around two months, depending on the complexity of the structure and the time it takes to get approved by the Luxembourg regulator.

How can we at 10 Leaves help you?

We provide turnkey services for Luxembourg structures:

From initial consulting, to assistance in authorisations, to assistance in preparation of the legal documentation, 10 Leaves helps you navigate the legal framework in Luxembourg and submit an application that is comprehensive, complete and compliant.

Our services include assistance in:

1. Reviewing the business model and advice on the applicable regulatory framework;

2. Preparation of all the required documentation, including Private Placement Memorandums and agreements;

3. Provision of compliance and bookkeeping services; and

4. Finalisation of registered space and bank account opening.

5. In fact, we can do all this without you having to visit Luxembourg!

Get in touch! To Know About SICAV IN LUXEMBOURG

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