Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), working with research partner Asia House, has launched a six-part Future of Finance report series and released its first publication, The Global Finance and Investment Outlook: Charting technological shifts and new global flows. The report synthesises emerging trends reshaping global financial services, including shifting capital and talent flows, new growth corridors, and key sources of geoeconomic and market uncertainty. Drawing on network-based research and input from leaders across DIFC’s ecosystem, the report describes financial services firms’ focus on jurisdictions offering forward-looking regulation, strong legal frameworks, strategic location, skilled talent and innovation readiness, alongside growing investor interest in private markets. It positions Dubai favourably given regional concentrations of wealth and notes DIFC’s access to USD 4trn in private and family wealth, framing this as a pool being converted into investable capital. Coverage spans global monetary policy, emerging market opportunities, artificial intelligence (AI) and digitisation, Islamic finance, sustainable finance and private credit, while highlighting risks such as interest rate movements, inflationary pressures, protectionism and the need to bridge talent gaps. On AI, the report cites an expected USD 15.7trn contribution to the global economy by 2030 and flags inconsistent regulatory standards as a barrier, referencing DIFC’s Digital Assets Law and Dubai’s AI-focused licensing and service models as relevant initiatives.

Original source View in tracker