Dubai's financial centre registrations rise 32% in first half

The Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) said Monday that company registrations grew 32 per cent in the first half of the year as the financial hub welcomed 1,081 new companies, including asset management firms, hedge funds and family offices.

The DIFC said in a statement that the total number of active companies at the Gulf's largest financial hub sat at 7,700 as of the end of June, up 25 per cent from the previous year.

Hedge fund registrations surged 72 per cent since June 2024, with 85 funds now based in the Centre.

New entrants included RV Capital and Silver Point Capital, which joined some of the industry's largest names that had already set up base in Dubai, such as Millenium and Point72.

Innovation sectors also expanded, with 1,388 FinTech, AI and innovation-focused companies now operating in DIFC - a 28 per cent increase year-on-year.

The hub also reported a 19 per cent increase in wealth management firms and a 73 per cent jump in entities associated with family businesses.

The Centre’s workforce grew to 47,900 professionals, up 9 per cent from the year earlier.

In a post on social media platform X, His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, said the performance supports Dubai’s D33 Economic Agenda goal of becoming one of the world’s top four global financial hubs.

"Together, we continue to work to ensure Dubai remains the city of the future and a driver of it," he wrote.

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) recorded its strongest ever performance for the first half of a year in H1 2025, welcoming 1,081 new active registered companies. The total number of active companies rose by 25% year-on-year, while financial services licences grew by… pic.twitter.com/4FAjAp7CS4

— Maktoum Bin Mohammed (@MaktoumMohammed) July 28, 2025