In a statement, the center reported that the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has reached the milestone of 100 registered hedge fund managers, securing the center as one of the top five hedge fund hubs in the world.
The total count of hedge fund managers at DIFC has exceeded 50 at the beginning of 2024, and 81 hedge fund managers now have the management of assets worth $1 billion or above.
The new players, such as Oak Hill Advisors, with assets under management of $108 billion, and AIP and Varenne, have pushed the center over the 100-manager threshold.
They are joining existing international companies already based out of DIFC, such as BlackRock, Millennium, Balyasny, Brevan Howard, Blue Owl, Dymon Asia, Hudson Bay, Qube Research and Technologies, and Verition.
Other managers established in the center during 2025 were, including Baron Capital Management, BlueCrest Capital, Naya Capital Management, Nine Masts Capital, North Rock Capital, Pearl Diver Capital, Select Equity Group, Strategic Investment Group, Silver Point Capital, Squarepoint Capital, and Welwing Capital Group.
DIFC claimed that its legal and regulatory framework is attracting hedge fund managers to its position due to access to talent and capital management across Asian, European, and US markets through a single base.
Therefore, the ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and sovereign wealth funds in the area are also tapped by the managers.
In a statement, Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Authority, Arif Amiri, said that “Becoming a leading hedge funds centre reflects the maturity of the DIFC platform as well as the confidence of its participants.” He also added that client focus, industry associations, and product development remain sources of growth.
The center has created the DIFC Funds Centre, a co-working concept to enable fund managers to set up operations fast and grow effectively as part of its push to attract asset managers. It said that more than 85 per cent of hedge fund managers in the center can raise and manage both private and sovereign capital through DIFC.
However, the momentum in alternative investments is anticipated to persist. A recent report by the center has revealed that technological innovation, regulatory reforms, and easier access by investors are accelerating flows into alternatives, which are becoming more of a part of the diversified portfolio.
Meanwhile, high-net-worth individual and family office allocation has increased to approximately 15 per cent since 2008. The broader wealth and asset management business of the center now incorporates over 470 companies with what DIFC describes as the highest concentration of private wealth in the Middle East.
The center is home to more than 1,250 family-based business establishments, with the UAE being regarded as a wealth migration destination to the world, further contributing to the ecosystem. Consultancy Henley and Partners expects about 9,800 millionaires will be relocating to the UAE by the end of 2025.
