Dubai Rated As A Top 5 FinTech City And Climbs Financial Centre Rankings

Dubai has climbed up rankings of the world’s most powerful financial centres in the world and has been ranked as a top five FinTech city in a global report.

Dubai’s progress as one of the world’s leading global financial centres was recognised in the latest edition the Global Financial Centre Index rankings with success being attributed to DIFC’s achievements over the past 20 years.

Published by Z/Yen in London, the most credible index for the financial services industry rates 119 financial centres across the world combining assessments from financial professionals with quantitative data which form instrumental factors.

Dubai financial ranking

31,314 financial centre assessments were collected from 4,946 financial services professionals who responded to the GFCI online questionnaire.

The GFCI is updated regularly, and ratings change as assessments and instrumental factors change.

Headlines for Dubai, include:

  • Becoming a top five city globally for FinTech for the first time, driven by DIFC initiatives
  • Being categorised as only one of eight cities in the world to be a global leader with “broad and deep” capabilities across all parts of the finance industry, alongside cities including London, New York and Paris
  • An overall ranking advancing to 12th (regional comparison below)
  • Becoming number one (most mentioned) financial city expected to become more significant
  • Being the only financial city in the region that appears in the top 15 categories for being globally competitive: ninth – infrastructure, 10th – business environment, 11th – reputation (includes laws, regs and innovation), and 12th – human capital
  • Being the only financial city in the region that now appears in any of the top fifteen cities list for each of the following sectors: fifth – FinTech, sixth – Professional Services, eighth – Investment Management, 13th – Trading and 14th – Banking/Finance

Essa Kazim, Governor of DIFC said: “With Dubai being one of only eight cities worldwide to be recognised a global leader in the financial industry, we are proud to be shaping the future of global finance and contributing to the Dubai Economic Agenda.

“Dubai’s emergence as a top five global FinTech hub for the first time is a testament to our continuous commitment to innovation and excellence, driven by the forward-thinking initiatives of DIFC.

“With Dubai becoming the most mentioned financial city in terms of expected to become more significant in the years to come, we reaffirm our position as the region’s leading global financial centre.”

Arif Amiri, CEO of DIFC Authority said: “Dubai’s continued rise in the Global Financial Centres Index reflects DIFC’s unwavering commitment to further develop the region’s number one financial ecosystem.

“As the only financial city in the region to rank in the top 15 for global competitiveness across multiple categories, our leadership is evident.

“Moreover, Dubai’s recognition as a top performer in key sectors underscores the breadth and depth of our financial capabilities.

“These achievements demonstrate our strategic focus on innovation, legal and regulatory excellence, and the development of a talented workforce, ensuring that Dubai remains at the forefront of global finance.”

Top 20 global financial centres

  • New York
  • London
  • Hong Kong
  • Singapore
  • San Francisco
  • Chicago
  • Los Angeles
  • Shanghai
  • Shenzhen
  • Seoul
  • Frankfurt
  • Dubai
  • Washington DC
  • Dublin
  • Geneva
  • Luxembourg
  • Paris
  • Amsterdam
  • Boston
  • Beijing

Follow us on

For all the latest business news from the UAE and Gulf countries, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.
RECENT NEWS

Saudi SME Bank Signs $801m Agreements To Expand Development Finance And Boost SME Growth

Saudi SME Bank signed $801m in agreements at MOMENTUM 2025 to expand development finance and strengthen SME funding Th... Read more

Crypto In The Spotlight As ADGM Reveals Next Wave Of Digital Asset Rules

FSRA’s latest regulatory enhancements target stronger supervision while supporting innovation across the region’s d... Read more

UAE Announces Two Tiers Of Sugar Tax Starting The New Year

Ministry of Finance announces tiered taxes ranging AED0.79-AED1.09 per litre on drinks that have more than 5 grams of s... Read more

Solmates Santori Says The UAE Is The Place To Build A “new Wall Street”

The Abu Dhabi-based company’s CEO says strategic location, proximity to capital ,and business-friendly environment ar... Read more

UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait And Bahrain Cut Key Interest Rates By 25bps Following US Fed Move

GCC central banks, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, cut key interest rates by 25bps after US... Read more

EDB Sets Up Abu Dhabi Office To Link Gulf Capital With Central Asian Projects

New ADGM platform will channel investment into infrastructure, sustainability and Islamic finance opportunities across ... Read more