Dubai, UAE: Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region, has strengthened its position to become the preferred choice for globally renowned brokerage firms in the UAE, with 70 now established in the Centre.

12 brokerage firms were authorised in 2023 by Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), the independent regulator of financial services conducted in or from DIFC. This growth reflects the high demand and opportunities for brokers with most new firms coming from the MEASA region, Europe, UK, and the US.

Five of the brokerage firms in DIFC rank in the top 10 interdealer brokers globally by volume, including BGC Brokers L.P., GFI Securities Limited, Interactive Brokers, TP ICAP Limited, Tradition Limited and Vantage Capital Markets. These brokers, and others across DIFC provide a full range of trade execution and broker dealer services.

Salmaan Jaffery, Chief Business Development Officer, DIFC Authority, said, “We welcomed 12 new international brokerages to DIFC during 2023. The consistent inflow of top firms underscores Dubai’s attractiveness as a global financial services hub and DIFC’s world-class value proposition for industry players. The substantial installed base of 70 international brokerages underscores DIFC’s commitment to enhancing Dubai’s position as a leading global financial market.”

In just 20 years, DIFC has evolved into the region’s global centre of excellence for the financial industry where the world converges to innovate and mobilise capital. Home to the region’s broadest and deepest financial ecosystem, DIFC announced record-breaking growth in the first half of 2024 with a total of 6,153 active companies, a significant 24 per cent year-on-year boost from 4,949 in 2023.

Included in this total are 820 regulated firms, which are each fully licensed and registered by the DFSA; making it the largest cluster of financial firms in MEASA, and a beacon for the region’s increasingly sophisticated fast-growth markets.

A brokerage firm or brokerage connects buyers and sellers to complete a transaction such as equity, fixed income and commodities. Brokers are compensated in commissions or fees that are charged once the transaction has been completed.

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About Dubai International Financial Centre

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is one of the world’s most advanced financial centres, and the leading financial hub for the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA), which comprises 77 countries with an approximate population of 3.7bn and an estimated GDP of USD 10.5trn.

With a 20-year track record of facilitating trade and investment flows across the MEASA region, the Centre connects these fast-growing markets with the economies of Asia, Europe, and the Americas through Dubai. 

DIFC is home to an internationally recognised, independent regulator and a proven judicial system with an English common law framework, as well as the region’s largest financial ecosystem of 43,800 professionals working across over 6,150 active registered companies – making up the largest and most diverse pool of industry talent in the region. 

The Centre’s vision is to drive the future of finance through cutting-edge technology, innovation, and partnerships. Today, it is the global future of finance and innovation hub offering one of the region’s most comprehensive FinTech and venture capital environments, including cost-effective licensing solutions, fit-for-purpose regulation, innovative accelerator programmes, and funding for growth-stage start-ups.  

Comprising a variety of world-renowned retail and dining venues, a dynamic art and culture scene, residential apartments, hotels, and public spaces, DIFC continues to be one of Dubai’s most sought-after business and lifestyle destinations. 

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

For media enquiries, please contact: 
Nivine William | Nisha Celina
Burson | bursonglobal.com
nivine.william@bursonglobal.com | nisha.celina@bursonglobal.com

Rasha Mezher | Dubai International Financial Centre Authority
Manager, Marketing & Corporate Communications
Rasha.Mezher@difc.ae