Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has released the latest edition of its flagship Future of Finance report series, titled “Shift to Private Capital.”
The report highlights how the rapid growth and globalisation of private wealth is reshaping financial markets and strengthening Dubai’s appeal as a destination for high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and private capital investors.
According to the report, private market assets are forecast to exceed $30tn by 2030, as investors increasingly turn to higher-yielding and more reliable opportunities.
Dubai International Financial Centre
Global private wealth has already reached a record $471tn, growing by more than $340tn since 1995 — eight times faster than the expansion of public wealth.
A defining feature of this transformation is the $124tn intergenerational wealth transfer set to unfold over the next two decades.
Younger heirs are prioritising technology, sustainability and impact, accelerating demand for personalised wealth solutions and sophisticated private capital platforms.
Dubai has emerged as the region’s leading hub for private wealth, combining the strength of established markets with the dynamism of emerging economies.
In 2025, the city climbed to 12th place in the Global Financial Centres Index, joining London, New York and Paris among the world’s top financial hubs.
DIFC has been central to this momentum. By H1 2025, it hosted 7,700 active companies, a 25 per cent year-on-year increase, including over 440 wealth and asset managers, 85 hedge funds, 1,035 family-related businesses, and a strong cluster of private equity and venture capital firms.
Major firms with a regional presence in DIFC include:
- Alarabi Investments
- Baron Capital
- BECO Capital
- Cambridge Associates
- CdR Capital
- Hayfin
- Middle East Venture Partners
- Morningstar
- Naya Capital
- Pearl Diver Capital
- PIMCO
- Squarepoint Capital
- Silver Point Capital
- TVM Capital
Contributors to the report include Mark Oshida (Cambridge Associates), Philippe Amarante (Henley & Partners) and Antoine Colson, CEO of the International Private Equity Market (IPEM).
IPEM, the world’s largest private capital marketplace, will host its first Middle East preview at DIFC in December 2025, followed by a full edition during Dubai Future Finance Week in May 2026.
Antoine Colson, CEO of IPEM, said: “Dubai’s alignment of long-term capital with long-term vision, combined with both its strong regulatory framework and thriving family office community, make it the natural home for IPEM’s expansion. We look forward to working with DIFC to connect global investors with the opportunities emerging from this dynamic hub.”
The Future of Finance: Shift to Private Capital report underscores how Dubai is not only keeping pace with the transformation of global markets but actively shaping them.
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