DIFC becomes Top Five Global Hub for Hedge Fund Managers - Over 100 Hedge Funds now registered in the Centre

DIFC becomes Top Five Global Hub for Hedge Fund Managers - Over 100

Hedge Funds now registered in the Centre

• New arrival Oak Hill Advisors with USD 108 billion in assets under

management, along with AIP and Varenne, take the Centre over the

100-manager milestone and join industry stalwarts such as BlackRock and

Millennium in choosing DIFC.

• Number of hedge fund managers has more than doubled since the start

of 2024, with 81 being 'billion-dollar club' funds.

• Funds attracted by factors including trusted legal and regulatory

framework, availability of talent and ability to manage capital across a

range of markets.

Dubai, UAE; 15 December 2025: Dubai International Financial Centre

(DIFC), the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa

and South Asia (MEASA) region, 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 DIFC 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.

His Excellency Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer 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."

An example of DIFC's innovation is the development of the DIFC Funds

Centre, a unique co-working space offering in the asset management

industry which allows managers to establish quickly, operate cost

effectively and expand rapidly. The Centre houses some of the industry's

biggest names complemented by mid-sized firms, 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 Centre.

DIFC's recent report on the future of alternative investments,

highlights strong momentum in the sector. The report shows that

technological innovation, regulatory reforms and wider investor access

are accelerating flows into alternatives, which are now becoming core

components of diversified portfolios. High-net-worth individuals and

family offices have doubled their allocation to alternatives since 2008,

reaching around 15 per cent.

DIFC's wealth and asset-management sector continues to expand rapidly,

now exceeding 470 firms. Managers benefit from access to the Middle

East's highest concentration of private wealth, including more than

1,250 family-related business entities based in the Centre. The UAE's

position as the world's top destination for wealth migration further

strengthens this ecosystem, with Henley & Partners projecting that 9,800

millionaires will have relocated to the UAE by the end of 2025.