Dubai Future Finance Week day three: Global private wealth outlook signals structural shift to Dubai as Wealth and Asset Management firms pass 600 milestone

Led by Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, day three of the inaugural Dubai Future Finance Week (2–6 November 2026) set out why the world’s private wealth is choosing Dubai, as evidenced by DIFC’s wealth and asset management ecosystem, which now exceeds 600 firms, as well as how faith-based finance and insurance play an important role in the region’s finance industry.

Held under the directives and patronage of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE, and President of DIFC, Dubai Future Finance Week advances the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 to consolidate Dubai's position among the top four global financial hubs.

Deepening private wealth and alternative investments

Reflecting the growth of Dubai and DIFC as the region’s global hub for private wealth, the centre announced today that it is now home to over 600 wealth and asset management companies - triple the number of other centres in the market. The announcement set an authoritative backdrop for the climax of yesterday’s IPEM Future conference, today’s DealCatalyst Fixed Incomes Alternatives discussions, and the upcoming Cambridge Associates Investment Leaders Exchange on 5 November. 

DIFC’s progress aligns with commentary made at the Dubai FinTech Summit earlier in the week by Noel Quinn, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Julius Baer Group; and Jason Moo, Chief Executive Officer, Bank of Singapore.

The DealCatalyst Fixed Incomes Alternatives programme convened leading global asset managers and structured credit investors from Europe and the United States alongside regional commercial banks, sovereign wealth funds, and financial institutions. Discussions explored the growth of private credit, structured finance and alternative funding models, highlighting the increasing depth and sophistication of regional capital markets.

Transforming Islamic Finance Through Global Infrastructure

Addressing Sharia-compliant capital markets, the Future Islamic Finance Forum brought together more than 1,000 senior stakeholders from over 50 countries to examine cross-border liquidity, regulatory alignment, and values-aligned capital deployment.

Key speakers included Nargiz Shiraliyeva, Head of the Financial Sector Development and Innovations Division, Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Dr. Humayon Dar, Director General, Cambridge Institute of Islamic Finance; Dr. Adnan Chilwan, Group Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Islamic Bank; Eric Salomons, Executive Vice President – Head of Product Development, Dubai Financial Market (DFM); Eisa Al Amri, Associate Director, Macro-Prudential Supervision, Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA); Charles Haresnape, CEO, Gatehouse Bank; Dr. Omar Shaikh, Managing Director of the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI) and Board Member and Director of the Islamic Finance Council UK (UKIFC); Mustafa Adil, Head of Islamic Finance, London Stock Exchange Group; Casiana Dusa, President, Romanian Arab Investment House; Prof. Talal Yassine AM, Managing Director, Salaam; Dr. Ahcene Lahsasna, CEO of Salihin Shariah Advisory Services and Chairman of the Shariah Committee at Standard Chartered Saadiq Malaysia; and Khurram Hilal, Group CEO, Standard Chartered Saadiq.  During the Forum, DIFC unveiled a series of strategic initiatives spanning talent development and technology enablement to support an industry projected to reach USD 9.31trn globally by 2030, alongside an Islamic FinTech market expanding toward USD 180bn in 2026.

Under talent and capacity building, DIFC Academy launched specialised learning pathways through its Centre for Global Islamic Finance, targeting more than 3,000 learners by 2031. The curriculum delivers structured programmes across beginner to advanced levels in collaboration with leading academic institutions and global industry partners.

Under technology and innovation enablement, the Islamic Finance Innovation Challenge by Ignyte will connect Islamic banks with global technology ventures to pilot production-ready solutions across financing, Sukuk structuring, compliance, and Takaful.

The DIFC Innovation Hub also announced plans to establish an Islamic Finance Innovation Centre in collaboration with CRDB Bank PLC, Emirates Islamic Bank, Principle Investor Group and Standard Chartered Saadiq. The Islamic Finance Innovation Centre is a collaborative innovation platform designed to bring together leading financial institutions from key Islamic finance markets to address shared industry challenges and accelerate the development of scalable solutions. Led by DIFC Innovation Hub, the Centre will connect financial institutions with regulators, Shariah scholars, standards bodies, FinTechs and technology companies, creating a structured environment to identify common priorities, discover and validate solutions, and enable their adoption across markets. The initiative will further strengthen Dubai and DIFC’s role in advancing the global Islamic finance industry while deepening innovation and financial connectivity across the Global South.

Salmaan Jaffery, Chief Business Development Officer of DIFC Authority, said: “The future of finance will be shaped through collaboration between the global institutions, investors, policymakers and industry leaders who are driving change across our sector. Today’s conversations have brought that expertise together across wealth and asset management, insurance and Islamic finance, creating an important platform to exchange perspectives, address shared priorities and advance the ideas that will shape the next generation of financial services. DIFC has an important role to play in turning that dialogue into progress by connecting global expertise, capital and opportunity, and helping drive meaningful change across the industry.”

GAIP InsureTek Dubai 2026 introduced a dedicated insurance platform within Dubai Future Finance Week, convening insurers, reinsurers, and brokers to advance risk transfer models, underwriting automation, and climate resilience frameworks.

Global financial leaders and institutional allocators are invited to join the concluding sessions of Dubai Future Finance Week, which will address family wealth governance, intergenerational stewardship, tokenisation, and digital asset regulation, building on today’s discussions on the tokenisation of Islamic capital markets. Further details are available at https://dubaifuturefinanceweek.com/

ENDS

About Dubai International Financial Centre

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is the world's most advanced financial centre, shaping the global financial landscape and cementing Dubai's reputation as a leading business destination across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA).

As the region's only financial centre operating at scale across all sectors, DIFC is home to 10,018 active firms. These include 1,134 regulated firms, among them are 327 banks and capital markets firms, 71 brokerage entities, 165 insurance and (re)insurance companies and 592 Wealth and Asset Management firms (including over 100 hedge fund managers). Home to 1,933 AI, FinTech and innovation firms, DIFC sets the benchmark for financial innovation and is a top five ranked FinTech hub across the world.

Underpinned by a trusted, world-class legal and regulatory framework, including the region's most utilised commercial courts, DIFC ensures efficient governance and reinforces Dubai’s leadership in the digital economy. Connecting 50,200 professionals, it offers the region’s deepest pool of financial talent, serving as the gateway to MEASA for all financial players.

Beyond business, DIFC provides the complete urban experience with world-class lifestyle amenities, establishing it as a highly sought-after destination. The 17.7mn sq. ft. DIFC Zabeel District expansion which provides capacity for over 42,000 companies and a workforce of more than 125,000, DIFC is solidifying Dubai's position as a top four global financial centre. The new District will also include premium Grade A commercial office space, over 1mn sq. ft. allocated to future technologies including the world’s largest Innovation Hub and world’s first purpose-built AI Campus, an expanded academy, residential buildings, hotels, a conference centre, and a range of retail, dining, and cultural offerings, including the Museum of Digital Art, the region’s first museum dedicated to digital art and new technologies.

Anchored in integrity, DIFC is the platform for success, driving the future of finance.

For further information, please visit our website: difc.com, or follow us on LinkedIn and X @DIFC.