DIFC registers 100th hedge fund as Dubai cements top-five global hub status

The milestone reflects DIFC’s growing dominance in the sector and its successful journey toward becoming a top five global centre for hedge funds.

The number of hedge fund managers based in DIFC has doubled from 50 at the start of 2024, with 81 managers overseeing assets under management of $1bn or more.

Dubai hedge funds

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
• Welwing Capital Group

These firms join an established roster of global industry leaders already operating from DIFC, including Balyasny, BlackRock, Blue Owl, Brevan Howard, Dymon Asia, Exodus Point, Hudson Bay, Millennium, Qube Research and Technologies (QRT), and Verition.

Why DIFC?

Managers continue to establish operations in DIFC at a record pace due to the Centre’s ability to support trading across Asian, European and American markets, access 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 benefit from the Centre’s extensive banking and advisory ecosystem, enabling global reach from Dubai.

Arif Amiri, CEO of DIFC Authority, said: “Becoming a leading hedge funds centre 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 centre operating at scale across all sectors, which allows DIFC and our clients to influence the global financial landscape from Dubai.”

A key example of DIFC’s innovation is the DIFC Funds Centre, a co-working space designed specifically for the asset management industry.

The Centre enables managers to establish quickly, operate cost effectively and scale rapidly, housing some of the sector’s largest firms alongside mid-sized managers, spinouts and start-ups.

More than 85 per cent of DIFC-based hedge fund managers have the ability to raise and manage private and sovereign capital from the Funds Centre, reinforcing DIFC’s position as a fully integrated alternative investment ecosystem.

Alternative investments

DIFC’s recent report on the future of alternative investments highlights strong momentum across the sector. The report shows that technological innovation, regulatory reforms and broader investor access are accelerating capital flows into alternatives, which are increasingly becoming core components of diversified portfolios.

High-net-worth individuals and family offices have doubled their allocation to alternative investments since 2008, with allocations now reaching around 15 per cent.

DIFC’s wealth and asset management sector continues to grow rapidly, now comprising more than 470 firms. Managers benefit from access to the Middle East’s highest concentration of private wealth, including over 1,250 family-related business entities based within the Centre.

The UAE’s position as the world’s leading destination for wealth migration further strengthens this ecosystem.

Henley & Partners projects that 9,800 millionaires will have relocated to the UAE by the end of 2025, reinforcing Dubai’s role as a global capital for private wealth and alternative investments.