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Dubai has solidified its position at the forefront of global financial centers, ranking first globally in financial technology (fintech), according to industry experts' classifications in the latest Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) report. This achievement reflects the evolution of its financial ecosystem and its ability to keep pace with the rapid transformations witnessed by the sector globally.

Dubai maintained its status as the only financial center in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region to rank among the top ten global financial centers. Meanwhile, the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) initiatives in artificial intelligence, fintech, and innovation continued to support the emirate's competitiveness and enhance its role in leading the future of the financial sector.

Driven by DIFC's vision to lead the future of finance, Dubai advanced to second place globally in professional services, alongside its global top ranking in fintech.

The emirate also climbed to sixth place globally in reputational rankings, indicating the business community's and international financial sector's confidence in its financial ecosystem. Furthermore, Dubai retained its global lead in future potential, a ranking it has topped for four consecutive GFCI reports.

Dubai also cemented its number one position as a financial city that industry experts expect will become more significant in the coming period, reflecting a positive future outlook regarding its role in the international financial landscape.

The latest GFCI report, compiled by London-based commercial think tank Z/Yen in partnership with the China Development Institute (CDI), gathered 39,531 assessments from global financial services experts and professionals who participated in the index's online questionnaire. The index combined these assessments with 143 instrumental factors to measure the competitiveness of global financial centers and determine their rankings across various specialized fields and sectors.

Essa Kazim, Governor of DIFC, stated that the GFCI results reinforce Dubai's standing as a leading global financial center and confirm the success of the vision set by the wise leadership through the targets of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.

He added that DIFC has played a pivotal role in boosting Dubai's global competitiveness by attracting leading financial institutions, talent, and innovation from around the world, in addition to providing the necessary regulatory and legal environment for conducting business and achieving sustainable growth.

Kazim emphasized that, as Dubai continues to strengthen its position at the heart of the global financial system, DIFC will continue its efforts to support the emirate's ambitions and solidify its place among the world's most influential financial centers.

For his part, Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of the DIFC Authority, said that the center's strength and broad scope of operations contribute to supporting and cementing Dubai's position in the GFCI, which is reflected in the assessments of financial services experts and professionals globally.

He explained that DIFC—the largest ecosystem of supervised and regulated financial companies in the MEASA region and the only financial center in the region operating at scale across banking, capital markets, wealth and asset management, insurance, and fintech—provides a comprehensive platform for innovation, growth, and collaboration.

Amiri noted that this depth and diversity enable the center to continue developing the financial services sector, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies, and contributing to shaping the future of the global financial landscape.