Prime Highlights
- WTW has received DFSA approval to operate its investments business in the Dubai International Financial Centre, enabling the firm to offer investment advisory services and fund solutions to UAE clients.
- WTW’s investments business manages more than 3.6 trillion dollars in assets under advisory and 187 billion dollars in assets under management, bringing significant global expertise into the DIFC ecosystem.
Key Facts
- WTW will target wealth managers, family offices and institutional clients in Dubai, with a focus on growing segments including end-of-service benefits and auto-enrolment.
- The firm also provides consulting services across human capital, insurance and risk management, and was recognised among the Middle East’s leading consulting firms last year.
Background
WTW Wins Regulatory Approval to Run Investment Business in Dubai’s DIFC
Global professional services firm WTW has received approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority to operate its investments business within the Dubai International Financial Centre, opening the door to a fuller range of client services in the UAE.
The licence allows WTW to offer investment advisory services and arrange access to fund solutions for clients in Dubai. The firm will focus on wealth managers, family offices and institutional clients, along with growing segments such as end-of-service benefits and auto-enrolment, areas seeing strong demand as Dubai’s financial market continues to mature.
Diya Luke, Global Head of Investments at WTW, said the DFSA licence puts the firm in a position to fully engage the Dubai market. “Wealth managers, family offices and institutional clients increasingly require the calibre of thinking and innovation that WTW is known for,” she said.
Ahmad Waarie, Head of MENA at WTW, described the approval as a key step in expanding the firm’s footprint in the UAE through a new service line. He said clients in the region have long valued the rigour and independence WTW brings to investment decision-making, and that a regulated presence in the DIFC would allow the firm to build deeper relationships and deliver a broader range of services on the ground.
DIFC Chief Executive Arif Amiri welcomed the addition, pointing to WTW’s scale as a significant gain for the centre’s ecosystem. WTW’s investments business oversees more than 3.6 trillion dollars in assets under advisory and 187 billion dollars in assets under management.
Beyond investments, WTW provides consulting services across human capital, insurance and risk management. The firm was named among the Middle East’s leading
