Introduction. The article examines the social and managerial aspects of the development of family businesses in Russia and the United Arab Emirates. Based on the analysis of the activities of key management entities, values, attitudes and practices of relevant social groups, problems are identified and directions for the development of family businesses are formulated.

Materials and methods. The empirical basis is research into the sphere of family business conducted in 2010-2024, regulatory legal acts, information on the official websites of government agencies, chambers of commerce and industry and family business development centers, analytical reviews of consulting agencies, and statistical data. A comparative analysis of the social and managerial aspects of the development of family businesses in Russia and the UAE is carried out.

Results. It has been established that, despite its wide distribution in both countries, family businesses in Russia and the UAE are at different stages of institutionalization, primarily from the point of view of regulatory support. Similar development conditions – problems of succession, isolation of family enterprises, shortcomings in the professional training of young people in the field of family entrepreneurship with a
generally high entrepreneurial potential, active support of regional authorities and industry associations – are combined with the specifics of state policy, value orientations of enterprise owners, gender aspects of entrepreneurship development etc. While in the UAE the family business ecosystem is well-established, creating a similar ecosystem for Russia is a strategic task, the solution of which is currently impossible without the normative consolidation of family entrepreneurship, the development and implementation of special government programs to support family businesses at the federal level.

Discussion. A priority in both Russia and the UAE is to find a balance between traditional family values that ensure sustainability and modern business values aimed at improving the efficiency of family businesses. Among the areas for further development of family business in Russia and the UAE, one should highlight the improvement of professional training of young people in educational institutions and the creation of conditions for constant, effective communication of all stakeholders of public relations in this area at the organizational, industry and state levels.

Keywords: family business, family enterprises, socio-managerial aspect, social groups, values, succession, gender aspect