Government of Dubai Media Office – 05 February 2026: Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), today announced landmark annual results that underscore Dubai’s prominence as the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region.

DIFC recorded 28% year-on-year growth in organically acquired active companies in 2025, reaching 8,844, reflecting sustained global confidence in Dubai as a leading hub for finance, business and innovation. Active company registrations increased by 2,525, marking a 39% rise compared to the previous year and highlighting the Centre’s attractiveness as a strategic gateway to regional and global financial markets. Combined 2025 revenues rose by an unprecedented 20% to AED2.13 bn, rising from AED1.78 bn in 2024. Net profits increased by 28% to AED1.48 bn from AED1.16 bn in 2024.

His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Chairman of the Higher Committee for the Development of the Economic and Financial Sector in Dubai, and President of DIFC, said: “The record-breaking results achieved by DIFC in 2025 across all sectors reflect the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to solidify Dubai’s position as a leading global destination for finance and business, and a premier international hub for generating new economic and financial opportunities."

His Highness added: “The continued growth in registered companies, revenue, and net profit reflects the rising confidence of global financial institutions in Dubai’s advanced economy, and DIFC’s legislative and regulatory framework, built on the pillars of integrity, efficiency, and transparency. This framework reinforces DIFC’s role as a key driver of Dubai’s regional and global competitiveness.”

His Highness concluded: “DIFC remains a cornerstone of Dubai’s ambitious strategy to rank among the world’s top four financial centres. We continue to strengthen our legal and regulatory frameworks, invest in advanced infrastructure, and maintain a business environment to attract global talent and long-term investment. These efforts are further raising Dubai’s position among the world’s leading financial hubs and reinforcing its appeal to international institutions, investors, and innovators.”

The region’s only financial centre operating at scale across all sectors

During 2025, DIFC’s financial ecosystem continued to grow faster than the wider market, further strengthening Dubai’s position as a major global financial services hub. DIFC remains the partner of choice for financial institutions seeking access to regional and international markets. The Centre is home to the region’s largest regulated financial services ecosystem, comprising 1,052 firms. These include regional headquarters for more than 290 banks and capital markets institutions, 135 insurance and reinsurance companies, 70 brokerage firms, and more than 500 wealth and asset management entities — including 102 hedge funds and over 1,289 family-related entities. Operating at scale across all sectors enables DIFC and its client ecosystem to make a distinctive contribution to the development of the global financial services industry.

DIFC’s expanding client base in 2025 included Allianz Trade, Cambridge Associates, CapitaLand, China International Capital Corporation, dLocal, Howden Reinsurance, ICICI Asset Management, Manulife, National Bank of Kuwait, North Rock Capital, PIMCO, RV Capital, Silver Point Capital, Squarepoint Capital, Starwood Capital, Tourmaline, Turkiye Vakiflar Bankasi, TransAmerica Life Bermuda, Warburg Pincus, and many others.

His Excellency Essa Kazim, Governor of DIFC, commented: “DIFC’s progressive legal and regulatory framework form decisive pillars that support the phenomenal growth achieved by the Centre in 2025. Such incremental growth contributes significantly to Dubai’s economy and enhances the emirate’s stature as a leading global financial centre, in line with national objectives and the strategic ambitions of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33). Dubai’s financial services industry, led by DIFC, continues to advance progress in the region by boosting investment, enhancing capital flows, and creating sustainable economic growth.”

His Excellency Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Authority, remarked: “DIFC’s record performance in 2025 demonstrates unprecedented growth, at a time when the evolution of global finance is moving to new horizons. Financial institutions, investors, innovators, families and corporate services providers now seek new paradigms to create, operate and expand. DIFC’s supportive ecosystem is innovation-driven and forward-looking, meeting the needs of the new digital economy and ensuring the Centre remains at the heart of global economic transformation.”

Region’s leading global financial centre

DIFC has turned Dubai into a magnet for global financial powerhouses, innovators and professional services leaders, providing an ecosystem that offers legal and regulatory certainty with business agility, and becoming the benchmark for emerging financial centres worldwide.

Growth has advanced Dubai’s ranking in the Global Financial Centre Index (GFCI) to 11th place and positioned it among the world’s top four FinTech hubs. The city is the region’s only financial centre and one of nine globally classified as having broad and deep capabilities. Published for nearly two decades, the GFCI is widely regarded as one of the world’s most credible financial centre benchmarks. The index evaluates 140 financial centres using 140 instrumental factors and is based on 28,549 industry assessments. It is developed independently of UAE-related organisations.

The only significant financial centre focused on innovation

Home to the region’s largest innovation-focused community, DIFC reached 1,677 AI and FinTech organisations in 2025, an increase of 35%. Enabled by DIFC’s Innovation Hub and the Dubai AI Campus platform, start-ups have collectively raised in excess of $4.5 bn regionally. By accelerating innovation, the DIFC Innovation Hub and Dubai AI Campus are reinforcing a diversified, knowledge-based and digital-first economy while shaping new models of economic growth that factor resilience and sustainability. An example of this innovation was the introduction of the DIFC PropTech Hub which is designed to transform the real estate sector, support over 200 PropTech start-ups, generate more than 3,000 jobs and attract $300 mn in investment by 2030.

The region’s capital for private wealth

DIFC has positioned Dubai as the region’s preferred global hub for private wealth and is attracting ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families to the city. Dubai is home to the highest concentration of private wealth in the Middle East and continues to offer a thriving and safe economic environment for both wealthy individuals and families.

Growing at an incomparable pace, DIFC is now home to more than 500 wealth and asset management companies, an increase of 22% in 2025, with 215 joining the Centre during the last two and a half years.

With family offices exploring new asset classes and emerging technologies, and developing investment strategies, DIFC has cemented its position as the best platform for family-related entities. The Centre is now home to 1,289 family-related entities, up 61% annually. DIFC-based families have established 1,115 foundations, an increase of 66% year-on-year.

At its 2025 Summit, the DIFC Family Wealth Centre announced that the NextGen Leadership Programme will commence in 2026. Developed in collaboration with strategic partners, the programme aims to equip the next generation of family business leaders through immersive training, mentorship and global best-practice modules focused on governance, innovation and intergenerational transition.

Region’s largest, deepest talent pool for financial services

DIFC’s greatest strength remains its talented workforce, which grew to 50,200 financial services related professionals. The Centre created 4,122 new jobs in 2025, up 9%. The workforce also sets a strong industry benchmark for gender diversity, with women representing 36% of professionals and men 64%.

Through the DIFC Academy and Dubai AI Academy, the Centre continues to nurture an expanding community of talent, a decisive indicator of economic development and competitiveness. A record 10,164 learners completed programmes at the DIFC Academy during the year, taking the total number since inception to 51,620.

Region’s most enabling environment

Aligned with Dubai’s vision to set the standard in the region and remain at the forefront of the evolving global financial landscape, DIFC proposed the New Variable Capital Company Regulations and introduced amendments to the Law of Security, Insolvency Law and Employment Law through the DIFC Laws Amendment Law. As the UAE’s only member of the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules, DIFC is committed to advancing interoperable, inclusive, responsive and trusted privacy frameworks in line with the evolving needs of businesses and individuals worldwide, while strengthening the Centre’s contribution to building the digital economy in Dubai.

During the year it was announced that DIFC has been chosen to host the Global Privacy Assembly in 2026. DIFC’s selection reflects the Centre’s reputation of being at the forefront of data protection and privacy regulation in the region.

Region’s largest community for knowledge-sharing

In 2025, DIFC hosted several initiatives with the aim of building knowledge and fostering innovation, creativity and finance industry development. These included the Dubai AI Festival, the largest event held during Dubai AI Week and the Dubai FinTech Summit. To help attract companies, investment and capital into Dubai, the Centre also hosted major industry events including the Alternative Investment Management Association Middle East Forum, Hedge Fund Managers Middle East Summit and IPEM Future Preview.

The Centre launched the ‘1 Million Learners’ initiative as part of the DIFC Sustainable Finance Catalyst, aiming to equip one million individuals with knowledge in sustainability and sustainable finance by 2030. A total of 99,084 people have taken part in sustainability related learning since the launch. The initiative is backed by a coalition of 32 partners, comprising leading organisations from across sectors that share a commitment to advancing sustainability knowledge.

A new era of global finance

As the DIFC Gate District reaches completion, DIFC continues to see exceptional demand for commercial space, operating at consistently high occupancy levels. During 2025, construction accelerated across 1.7 mn sq. ft of commercial space, with the first 600,000 sq. ft scheduled for handover by the end of February 2026.