The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has reported its best-ever performance for the first half of 2025, underscoring its pivotal role in driving the future of finance and contributing to Dubai's economic growth.
In the first six months of 2025, DIFC saw a record number of new firms establishing operations, bringing the total number of active registered companies to 7,700, a 25% increase from the same period in 2024. Additionally, 1,081 new active registered companies joined DIFC between January and June 2025, marking a 32% increase compared to the same period in 2024. The number of professionals working in DIFC rose to 47,901, reflecting a 9% increase from the previous year.
H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and President of DIFC, stated, "The unprecedented results that DIFC continues to achieve across all fronts are a direct reflection of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai—a vision focused on positioning Dubai at the forefront of the world's most advanced financial centres."
Driven by DIFC's strategic initiatives, Dubai has been categorized as one of only eight cities globally to possess 'broad and deep' capabilities across all parts of the finance industry in the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI), standing alongside cities like London, New York, and Paris. Dubai is currently the sole centre in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia to be listed among the top GFCI ranked financial cities globally in several sectors: FinTech (5th), professional services (6th), investment management (8th), infrastructure (9th), and business environment (10th).
DIFC continues to advance its position as the region's largest regulated financial services ecosystem. A total of 980 entities are now regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), the independent regulator for business undertaken from or within DIFC, up 17% year-on-year from 2024. Total financial services authorizations grew 28% year-on-year, reaching 78 in H1 2025 compared to 61 in H1 2024.
DIFC's banking and capital markets cluster is unrivalled in the region, with 289 companies operating in this sector, up from 247 a year ago, a substantial 17% growth rate. Dubai is home to the highest concentration of private wealth in any Middle Eastern city, according to Henley & Partners. This has supported growth in DIFC's wealth and asset management cluster, which is the biggest in the region. The number of firms in the sector increased to 440, up from 370 in H1 2024, growing 19% year-on-year. The centre is now home to more than 85 hedge funds, soaring 72% over the last 12 months and includes 69 billion-dollar funds. Over 10,000 funds are being managed or marketed from DIFC.
DIFC's approach to supporting family businesses, including providing access to alternative investments through its wealth and asset management clients, and structures to support growth, continues to ensure the centre is their preferred location. The number of entities associated with family businesses operating in DIFC has risen to 1,035, up from 600 a year ago, marking a 73% increase. The number of foundations in DIFC has accelerated to 842, up from 548 in H1 2024, a 54% year-on-year increase.
The insurance and reinsurance sector also experienced robust growth, with 135 related firms now operating in the ecosystem, increasing 8% from 125 in H1 2024. During the first half of 2025, it was announced that gross written premiums reached $3.5 billion for 2024, compared to $2.6 billion a year earlier—a significant 35% increase.
DIFC's innovation ecosystem continued to attract a growing number of technology-led firms. The number of FinTech and Innovation companies reached 1,388, up from 1,081 in H1 2024, a surge of 28%, securing Dubai's position as one of the world's top five hubs for FinTech in the latest Global Financial Centres Index. During H1 2025, this contributed to an overall 28% growth in total active non-financial entities, increasing to 6,335, up from 4,935 a year earlier.
The centre's flagship events, the Dubai AI Festival and Dubai FinTech Summit, collectively attracted over 20,000 participants from over 120 countries. During these events and in support of DIFC's innovation agenda, the Dubai AI Academy was launched, and Dubai Future Finance Week was announced. Being held in May 2026, the week will bring together six major events, including the FinTech Summit, Future Sustainability Forum, and the Dubai Future District Fund AGM.
Having launched Ignyte at the end of 2024, a growth platform targeting 100,000 founders, start-ups, and investor subscribers, it has already redeemed benefits exceeding AED182 million. This reflects Ignyte's real economic benefit and demonstrates how the platform is an enabler for growth.
Supporting the objectives of Dubai's Education Strategy 2033 and the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, the DIFC Academy has become a preferred choice for world-class universities. Amongst DIFC's partners, renowned universities including American University of Cairo, ESCP Business School, ESSEC Business School, Georgetown University, London Business School, Pantheon Assas University, and SKEMA Business School offer 12 master's degree programmes. Through 32 active partners, 46,103 learners have completed programmes at the DIFC Academy since inception, including 4,947 during H1 2025—the highest ever number in a six-month period.
To drive long-term impact, DIFC has launched the '1 Million Learners' initiative with the support of 30 founding partners, under the Sustainable Finance Catalyst, which aims to equip one million individuals with sustainability knowledge by 2030. The initiative builds on the demand for sustainability-related training at the DIFC Academy, which has delivered 6,075 hours of related learning in H1 2025, taking the total programming to 22,241 hours from 42 courses.
DIFC's legal and regulatory frameworks continued to evolve to keep pace with global developments. During the first half of 2025, the centre proposed to enact new Variable Capital Company Regulations. The proposed regulations seek to significantly enhance investment structuring and asset management options for proprietary investment in DIFC. Additionally, legal updates were proposed through the DIFC Laws Amendment Law, including refinements to the Law of Security, Insolvency Law, and Employment Law, ensuring alignment with international standards.
In a milestone achievement underscoring Dubai's growing influence in global governance, DIFC was selected to host the upcoming Global Privacy Assembly 2026, the premier global forum for data protection and privacy authorities.
DIFC's real estate portfolio continues to support Dubai's urban development ambitions. Inventory that was provided to the market for the recently launched DIFC Heights sold out in three days, underscoring strong demand for premium living in the financial district. Over 1.6 million square feet of commercial space is currently under development, and construction is being accelerated to meet demand. The new space will be ready for occupancy starting from Q1 next year. DIFC also launched a new data platform enabling third-party access to real estate information, aligning with the Dubai Real Estate Strategy 2033.