A record number of new firms established operations in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in the first six months of 2025.
Between January and June 2025, 1,081 new active registered companies joined DIFC a 32% increase on the same period in 2024.
The total number of active registered companies now sits as 7,700, up from 6,153 in H1 2024, a 25% year-on-year increase.
The number of professionals working in DIFC rose to 47,901, a 9% increase from 43,787 a year earlier.
In total 980 entities are now regulated by the DFSA, the independent regulator for business undertaken from or within the DIFC, up 17% year-on-year from 2024. Total financial services authorisations grew 28% year-on-year, reaching 78 in H1 2025 compared to 61 in H1 2024.
New entrants to DIFC’s client base during H1 2025 include ABK Capital, Avaloq, Baron Capital, Bluecrest Capital, Bridge Investment Group, Cambridge Associates, China International Capital Corporation, dLocal, Manulife, National Bank of Kuwait, Pearl Diver Capital, PIMCO, RV Capital, Silver Point Capital, Tourmaline, TransAmerica Life Bermuda, and Welwing Capital Management.
CEO of DIFC Authority Arif Amiri said: “In the first half of 2025, DIFC has exceeded expectations across every metric. Our strong performance demonstrates the power of our ecosystem, the scale of our platform, and the depth of expertise we bring to the industry.
“We remain committed to transforming the future of finance from Dubai and advancing our position as the region’s number one global financial centre.”
