This view features the hub of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in downtown Dubai.
Image used for illustrative purpose.
Image courtesy: Getty Images/ Michael Lee
DIFC said that it had attracted 2,318 new active registered companies over the 12-month period compared to year-ago levels
Federico Maccioni | Reuters News
DUBAI – The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) said on Tuesday that new company registrations at the Middle Eastern hub rose 30% in the year to the end of June, despite the ongoing U.S.-Iran war.
The growth underscores the continued pull of Gulf financial hubs as regional governments invest to diversify their economies, even as the conflict that broke out on February 28 roils the broader region.
Here are some details:
* DIFC said in a statement that it had attracted 2,318 new active registered companies over the 12-month period compared to year-ago levels.
* That includes 1,506 companies joining in the first half of 2026 alone, a 39% increase.
* The total number of active registered companies operating from the financial hub exceeded 10,000, with regulated financial services firms growing 16% to 1,134 in the 12 months.
* Wealth and asset management firms rose 35% to 592, while banking and capital markets firms grew 13% to 327.
* “We are seeing strong momentum across every major segment of the financial services industry, supported by increasing client expansion, innovation activity and investment flows,” said DIFC Authority CEO Arif Amiri.
* Trade credit insurer Allianz Trade Middle East, multi-strategy hedge fund Arrowpoint Investment Partners and Bank of Canada are among the firms that set up base in DIFC in the first half.
* Blackstone is also planning to set up an office in DIFC, Reuters reported last week, citing sources.
(Reporting by Federico Maccioni, editing by Andrei Khalip)