WTW (NASDAQ: WTW) has received approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority to operate as WTW Investments (DIFC) Limited within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), giving the firm its first locally regulated investment platform in the region.
The licence allows WTW to proactively offer investment advisory services and arrange access to fund solutions in and from DIFC. The firm says it will now target wealth managers, family offices, end-of-service benefit schemes, and auto-enrolment programmes — segments the company identifies as growing as the region’s financial sector matures.
WTW had already been operating in the Middle East without local licensing, advising sovereign wealth funds and public pension plans across the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, and supporting multinational employers with International Pension and Savings Plan capabilities.
“This Licence approval is a landmark moment for WTW. We have long recognised the extraordinary depth of opportunity across the Middle East, and we have been building deliberately towards this point – establishing trusted relationships with some of the region’s most sophisticated asset owners and delivering outcomes that speak for themselves. With the DFSA licence now in place we can fully engage the market with wealth managers, family offices and institutional clients who increasingly require the calibre of thinking and innovation that WTW is known for,” Diya Luke, Global Head of Investments at WTW said in a statement.
“WTW Investments’ decision to establish its regional presence in DIFC reflects Dubai’s position as a preferred destination for global wealth and asset management firms. DIFC is home to the region’s largest and most established ecosystem of wealth and asset management companies, providing firms with direct access to regional growth opportunities, capital and clients. With more than USD 3.6trn in assets under advisory and USD 187bn in assets under management, WTW Investments brings significant global expertise in investment advisory and institutional consulting to the DIFC community. We look forward to supporting the firm as it grows its business from Dubai,” Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer at the Dubai International Financial Centre Authority added.
“DIFC provides a world‑class regulatory and business environment and the DFSA Licence represents a pivotal step in our regional journey. The Middle East is not simply a growth opportunity for WTW, it is a strategic priority and one we are approaching with the full weight of our global capabilities and local knowledge. Our clients in the region have always valued the rigour and independence that WTW brings to investment decision-making. Now, with an established regulated presence in the DIFC, we can build deeper relationships, expanding the range of services we deliver on the ground, and build long-term relationship with the region’s most influential investors and institutions. This is an important step forward and there is much more to come,” Dr Ahmad Waarie, Director of WTW Investments (DIFC) and Head of MENA at WTW further explained.
WTW has described the Middle East as a strategic growth priority, with plans to invest further in regional talent, infrastructure, and client partnerships.
