Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) said that the number of new company registrations at the financial hub rose by nearly 40% to 1,525 in 2025, driven by an influx of firms such as hedge funds.
As Gulf countries diversify their economies away from oil, investing billions in sectors like financial services, hubs like the Dubai International Financial Centre have been attracting an increasing number of companies. The total number of actively registered firms at the centre stood at around 8,840 as of the end of December 2025, up 28% from 2024. Active company registrations also increased by 2,525, a rise of 39% from the 2024 tally.
These included 557 wealth and asset management firms, which in recent years have been setting up base or expanding their footprint in Dubai and neighbouring Abu Dhabi as the UAE attracts high-net-worth individuals, helped by factors such as the relative ease of doing business and low tax status.
“We had a slight uptick in the UK, and that probably has been a reflection of the growth in hedge funds that have been brought from that country,” DIFC Governor Essa Kazim told the media, while speaking about the geographical breakdown of firms at the centre. The Dubai International Financial Centre, meanwhile, is set for an around USD 27 billion expansion to be delivered by 2040, with the hub reaching full capacity, apart from seeking to welcome new firms.
Asked about funding for the project, Kazim said that the Dubai International Financial Centre achieved a net profit of around USD 400 million in 2025, remarking, “That is really the future cash flow that will contribute to the expansion, together with internal resources as well as a potential return to capital markets. Definitely, the market is open. In the past, we issued sukuk, and that’s one possibility.”
In terms of operational profits, DIFC reported record annual results for 2025, posting double-digit growth in company registrations, revenue and net profit. Combined revenues rose 20% to Dhs2.13 billion (USD 580 million) in 2025 from Dhs1.78 billion in 2024, while net profit increased 28% to Dhs1.48 billion from Dhs1.16 billion. Dubai International Financial Centre has remained the region’s largest regulated financial services ecosystem, with 1,052 financial services firms operating in the hub.