Dubai – 17 September 2026
Dubai has been ranked the world’s leading FinTech centre by industry professionals in the latest Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI), further strengthening its position as a major international financial hub.
The emirate remains the only financial centre from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region to feature among the global top 10. Dubai also climbed to second globally for Professional Services, while its global reputation ranking improved to sixth.
The emirate retained its position as the world’s leading financial centre for future potential, marking the fourth consecutive GFCI report in which it has topped the category.
The latest GFCI report, published by London-based consultancy Z/Yen in partnership with the China Development Institute, is based on 39,531 assessments from financial services professionals worldwide. It combines these responses with 143 quantitative factors to assess the competitiveness of financial centres.
His Excellency Essa Kazim, Governor of DIFC, said the findings reflect Dubai’s growing role in the international financial system and the progress made under the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.
He said DIFC has contributed to this growth by attracting international financial institutions, talent and innovation, while providing the regulatory, legal and business infrastructure needed to support sustainable development. He added that DIFC would continue to support Dubai’s ambitions and strengthen its position among the world’s leading financial centres.
His Excellency Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Authority, said Dubai’s GFCI performance reflects the scale and diversity of DIFC’s financial ecosystem.
He highlighted DIFC’s position as the region’s largest ecosystem of regulated financial firms, spanning banking, capital markets, wealth and asset management, insurance and FinTech. According to Amiri, this breadth provides a platform for innovation and collaboration while supporting the adoption of emerging technologies and the development of the global financial services industry.
