Global advisory and broking firm WTW has received regulatory approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority to operate WTW Investments (DIFC) Limited within the Dubai International Financial Centre, marking a significant step in the firm's regional growth strategy.
The licence allows WTW to proactively offer investment advisory services and arrange access to fund solutions in and from DIFC for the first time. Previously limited in how it could engage locally, the firm can now operate through a fully anchored, scalable platform with direct access to some of the region's most dynamic investment markets.
WTW will target a broad range of market segments under the new licence, including wealth management, family offices, end-of-service benefits and auto-enrolment — sectors seeing accelerated growth as the Middle East's financial ecosystem continues to mature.
The move builds on an already established regional presence. Ahead of obtaining the licence, WTW Investments had been advising some of the largest sovereign wealth funds and public pension plans in the region, while also supporting employers across the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia with integrated international pension and savings plan capabilities.
With more than $3.6 trillion in assets under advisory and $187 billion in assets under management globally, WTW brings considerable institutional weight to the DIFC community.
Diya Luke, Global Head of Investments at WTW, described the approval as a landmark moment, noting that the firm has been building deliberately toward this point through trusted relationships with the region's most sophisticated asset owners.
Arif Amiri, CEO of the DIFC Authority, said WTW's decision to establish a regional presence in DIFC reflects Dubai's growing stature as a destination of choice for global wealth and asset management firms.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
