Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) now hosts more than 600 wealth and asset management firms, three times the number of comparable firms in other financial centres.
The figure was announced on the third day of the inaugural Dubai Future Finance Week, which runs from November 2 to 6.
The event is organised by DIFC under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai and President of DIFC. It supports the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), which aims to place Dubai among the world’s top four global financial centres.
Islamic finance took centre stage. The Future Islamic Finance Forum drew more than 1,000 senior stakeholders from over 50 countries to discuss cross-border liquidity and regulatory alignment. DIFC Academy launched learning pathways through its Centre for Global Islamic Finance, targeting more than 3,000 learners by 2031. The Islamic Finance Innovation Challenge by Ignyte will also connect Islamic banks with technology ventures to pilot solutions in areas such as Sukuk structuring and Takaful.
The DIFC Innovation Hub plans to set up an Islamic Finance Innovation Centre with CRDB Bank, Emirates Islamic Bank, Principle Investor Group and Standard Chartered Saadiq. The sector is projected to reach US$9.31 trillion globally by 2030.
Elsewhere, the DealCatalyst programme examined private credit and structured finance, while GAIP InsureTek Dubai 2026 gave insurers and reinsurers a dedicated platform.
Salmaan Jaffery, Chief Business Development Officer of DIFC Authority, said DIFC’s role is to turn dialogue into progress by connecting global expertise, capital and opportunity. The final sessions will cover family wealth governance, tokenisation and digital asset regulation.
News Source: WAM
