Oak Hill Advisors (OHA), a global credit-focused alternative investment firm managing approximately US$112 billion in assets, has received regulatory authorisation from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to operate within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
The approval formalises OHA's entry into the GCC market and follows the firm's registration as the 100th hedge fund manager with the DIFC Authority in late 2025. The move signals growing institutional appetite for Dubai as a base for alternative investment operations serving the broader Middle East and international markets.
OHA brings over 30 years of global credit experience to the region, with strategies spanning private credit, leveraged loans, high-yield bonds, distressed debt, collateralised loan obligations, and multi-strategy credit investing.
Declan Tiernan, Partner and Head of EMEA Client Coverage at OHA, said the firm had built significant partnerships across the region over time and views DIFC as offering the regulatory strength, financial infrastructure, and investor access needed to deepen that presence further.
DIFC Chief Executive Officer Arif Amiri said OHA's arrival reinforces Dubai's standing as a top-tier destination for the world's leading alternative investment firms, and reflects continued confidence in the centre's regulatory environment and long-term capability.
DIFC currently hosts the region's largest concentration of wealth and asset management firms, drawing global institutions through its legal framework, talent base, and strategic position bridging Eastern and Western markets.
OHA's authorisation adds another prominent name to a growing roster of credit specialists and asset managers choosing Dubai as their regional anchor, underlining the city's expanding role in global capital markets.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
