DIFC

Private Equity

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Companies in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region are increasingly looking to fund growth through private capital – including international capital.

Family firms and conglomerates, meanwhile, are reaching a size and complexity that benefit from the capital and management expertise offered by private equity.

At the same time, many industries and sectors are fragmented, ideal for the consolidation that is well served by private equity. Governments are turning to public-private partnerships, representing yet another private equity opportunity.

An expanding appetite from institutions and high-net-worth individuals looking to diversify their portfolios with MEASA-focused private equity is creating an investor base for regionally themed funds.

With its location at the heart of deal making in the region, DIFC offers the ideal platform for firms looking to meet this need, as they launch or expand operations in the region.

Additionally, DIFC’s fund structures and licensing options are ideally suited to private equity, creating a unique regional platform to launch, distribute, manage and domicile all types of private equity funds.

Private Equity is one of four areas within the Wealth and Asset Management focus at DIFC. The other areas include Asset Management, Wealth Management and Fund Management.

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Advantages of setting up in DIFC

DIFC is the unrivalled financial hub of the region with an established and tested legal and regulatory framework. Safe and stable, Dubai is a global city and business, trade and tourism centre that’s fully connected to regional and global markets.

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Sophisticated fund set-up and structuring capabilities

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Worldwide acceptance of DIFC funds

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World class regulation in a common-law framework

Legal and Regulatory Framework

Although operating independently, the DIFC Authority, the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) and the Dispute Resolution Authority (DRA) serve a common goal: reinforcing DIFC’s principles of integrity, transparency and efficiency. 

The DIFC Authority is responsible for the guiding strategy, ongoing development and overall public administration of DIFC. The DFSA is the globally recognised independent regulator of financial services conducted in or from DIFC. The DRA provides an English-language, commercial common law judicial system, as well as a dispute resolution platform, and other services to deliver legal excellence in the Middle East.

Register in Three Steps

Simple and straightforward licensing, registration and regulation, makes setting up and operating in DIFC fast and efficient.

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01

Discuss fund options with DFSA and DIFC service advisors

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Submit application documents 

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Receive approvals for licenses, visas and consent notifications 

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