Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is an onshore financial centre strategically located between the east and west, which provides a secure and efficient platform for business and financial institutions to reach into and out of the emerging markets of the region. The quality and range of DIFC’s independent regulation, common law framework, supportive infrastructure and its tax-friendly regime make it the perfect base to take advantage of the region’s rapidly growing demand for financial and business services.
DIFC fills the time-zone gap for a global financial centre between the leading financial centres of London and New York in the west and Hong Kong and Tokyo in the east. Guided by its core values of integrity, transparency and efficiency, DIFC is playing a pivotal role in meeting the growing financial needs of the region.
DIFC has a sizeable number of multinational corporations and regional conglomerates which are utilising the DIFC to base a head or regional office where centralised strategic leadership and global management of their business activities takes place.
DIFC’s attractive legal framework and tax offering, in combination with UAE’s wide network of DTAs, has enabled many of these players to optimise the tax impact on their global business and benefit from booking revenues in the centre. Companies are also using DIFC to run treasury operations including forex hedging and liquidity management, as well as a platform for shared services centres for group companies and business units.
Companies based at DIFC are served by a range of international banking facilities and world-class professional services providers, including top global legal firms, accounting firms, consultants, recruitment firms and tax advisers. Companies include Fortune 500 and leading players in the financial services, oil & gas, telecommunication, consumer goods, business services, capital goods and materials sector.
Companies established in the centre benefit from the centralised client-servicing model that delivers a breadth of services that would involve numerous uncoordinated counter parties in other jurisdictions.
Organisations interested in exploring establishment at Dubai International Financial Centre can consult CBBC team to complete a simple application process.
Successful applications are followed by registration. In this process, details are provided to Dubai International Financial Centre in order to facilitate multiple regulatory and operational requirements, including:
Institutions wishing to offer regulated financial services must obtain approval the concerned Authorities.
A successful registration will result in a certificate of incorporation, registration, or continuation, and a commercial licence.