Wealth managers are scrambling to help ultra-rich clients escape the Middle East amid the Iran conflict, extending services far beyond traditional investment advice. Cresset, which manages over $237 billion, has extracted clients from the UAE while the airspace was closed, arranging private flights and commercial passage as security concerns mount. This emergency evacuation service reflects how family offices and wealth managers are transforming into full-service lifestyle providers to justify their fees.

Alpen Partners, a Swiss firm overseeing $4.5 billion, assisted approximately 30 clients in leaving Dubai and Israel, securing seats on private jets and commercial airlines. Most evacuees were European clients from Switzerland, France and Italy, though some local Middle Eastern clients also sought departure. Security firm Global Guardian has helped evacuate over 4,200 people from the region since Iranian strikes began, with two-fifths of those operations arranged through family offices and wealth managers.

The trend toward comprehensive concierge services, now offered by nearly a third of wealth advisers to the affluent, represents a strategic response to industry consolidation and fintech competition. Wealth managers are partnering with specialized security firms, including those with ex-CIA operatives, to provide one-stop solutions for their clients' needs. As one executive noted, security has become "a really, really important aspect" of client services, with many wealthy individuals now planning extended stays away from the region.