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Dubai climbs to seventh globally as DIFC records third year of double-digit growth
Dubai International Financial Centre added 182 regulated firms in 2025 as the emirate climbed to seventh place globally in the Global Financial Centres Index
- PUBLISHED: Thu 25 Jun 2026, 11:47 AM
The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) licensed and registered 182 new firms in 2025, marking a third consecutive year of double-digit growth and bringing the total number of regulated entities in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) to 1,050, according to the regulator’s 2025 Annual Report.
The report said the number of newly licensed firms represented a 16 per cent increase over 2024 and coincided with Dubai reaching its highest-ever position in the Global Financial Centres Index, climbing to seventh globally in the March 2026 edition.
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Fadel Al Ali, Chairman of the DFSA, said the results reflect continued confidence in Dubai’s regulatory environment and support the emirate’s ambition under the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) and the DIFC 2030 Strategy to become one of the world’s top four financial centers by 2033.
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The wealth and asset management sector remained a cornerstone of DIFC’s financial ecosystem. The number of authorised fund managers increased to 121, while the total number of funds reached 276. Assets under management rose 4 per cent year-on-year to $176 billion, while assets under advisory jumped 22 per cent to $220 billion. DIFC also strengthened its position as one of the world’s top five hedge fund hubs, hosting 87 hedge funds, including two of the world’s largest.
The banking sector also posted robust growth. Combined balance sheets of banks operating in DIFC reached $251 billion by the end of 2025, up 19 per cent from a year earlier and nearly triple their level in 2015. Private banking assets under advisory climbed 23 per cent to $103.8 billion, supported by a client base exceeding 14,000.
The insurance sector expanded 15 per cent during the year, driven particularly by reinsurance. Gross written premiums reached record levels of $4.24 billion for reinsurers and reinsurance underwriters and $3.38 billion for insurance brokers.
Dubai’s capital markets also continued to expand. New debenture listings totalled $30.6 billion during 2025, bringing outstanding listings to $147.4 billion. DIFC maintained its position as one of the world’s leading sukuk listing centers, with outstanding sukuk valued at $107.9 billion. Meanwhile, over-the-counter markets recorded more than 100 per cent growth in both transaction value and volume, reaching $13 trillion during the fourth quarter of 2025.
The report also highlighted the DFSA’s continued focus on innovation and digital finance. Its Tokenisation Regulatory Sandbox attracted 96 expressions of interest from firms across six jurisdictions during 2025. Separately, the regulator’s annual artificial intelligence survey found that 52 per cent of DIFC firms actively used AI in 2025, up from 33 per cent in 2024, while adoption of generative AI increased by 166 per cent year-on-year.
Mark Steward, Chief Executive of the DFSA, said continued growth in 2025 and into 2026 reflects sustained confidence in DIFC despite global uncertainty, with investors continuing to favor jurisdictions offering strong regulation, institutional depth and long-term strategic credibility.
