Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has registered its 100th hedge fund, reflecting its dominance in the sector and successful journey to becoming a top five global hub for the industry.
The number of hedge fund managers doubled from 50 at the start of 2024 and 81 are billion-dollar AUM managers. During 2025, new arrivals include 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.
They join the region’s largest roster of industry stalwarts, such as Balyasny, BlackRock, Blue Owl, Brevan Howard, Dymon Asia, Exodus Point, Hudson Bay, Millennium, Qube Research and Technologies (QRT), and Verition.
Managers continue to join Dubai International Financial Centre at record pace because they can trade Asian, European and American markets, tap the region’s deepest pools of talent and raise capital from ultra-high net worth individuals, family offices and sovereign wealth funds. DIFC Hedge Funds also trade Asian, European and American markets and leverage DIFC’s unparalleled banking and advisory ecosystem.
DIFC’s innovation is exemplified by the DIFC Funds Centre, a purpose-built co-working platform that enables asset managers to establish quickly, operate efficiently and scale rapidly. The Centre hosts leading global firms alongside mid-sized managers, spinouts and start-ups, with more than 85 percent of DIFC-based hedge fund managers able to raise and manage private and sovereign capital.
Dubai International Financial Centre’s latest report on alternative investments highlights strong sector momentum, driven by technological innovation, regulatory reform and broader investor access. Alternatives are increasingly core to diversified portfolios, with high-net-worth individuals and family offices doubling allocations since 2008 to around 15 percent.
Arif Amiri CEO – DIFC Authority
“Becoming a leading hedge funds center reflects the maturity of the DIFC platform as well as the confidence of its participants. Our client focus and industry partnerships drive product innovation, which continues to fuel our growth. The breadth and depth of our alternative investments community strengthen our position as the only financial center operating at scale across all sectors, which allows DIFC and our clients to influence the global financial landscape from Dubai.”
The Centre’s wealth and asset management ecosystem continues to expand, now exceeding 470 firms. Managers benefit from access to the Middle East’s largest concentration of private wealth, including more than 1,250 family-related entities, reinforced by the UAE’s position as the world’s leading destination for wealth migration, with 9,800 millionaires expected to relocate by end-2025.
