The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Authority, the entity responsible for the operations and management of the leading financial hub for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region with a wealth and asset management market of $424 billion, has strengthened its leadership team to drive its ongoing journey toward becoming a next-generation financial center.
The center has made a number of strategic appointments and promotions of UAE nationals to spearhead key initiatives that support the DIFC’s vision to further enable financial technology in the region. In addition, this supports the center’s broader expansion plans approved by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, in January.
Peyman Al-Awadhi has been appointed as head of marketing and corporate communications at the DIFC Authority to lead the strategic positioning, digital transformation and engagement of the center. Senior individuals have been promoted within the organization, including Mohammad Alblooshi to sector head of fintech, who is leading the development of the center’s fintech ecosystem, Alya Al-Zarouni has been promoted to executive vice president of operations, while Raja Al-Mazrouei has been elevated to the position of executive vice president of DIFC FinTech Hive.
Arif Amiri, CEO of the DIFC Authority, said: “During the last 15 years, DIFC has firmly reinforced its position as one of the world’s top financial centers. Our focus is to become the most advanced financial center in the world and the only way to do this is to ensure we stay ahead of the curve.
“Our future is deeply rooted in digital transformation and innovation and it’s crucial for us to make sure we have the right people in the right positions to help realize this vision.”
The UAE has an ambitious goal to become one of the top 25 in the world for gender equality by 2021, and in 2018, a new rule was created to mandate a female presence on listed companies’ boards of 20 percent by 2020. The DIFC is committed to the UAE mandate to embrace diversity.
During the last five years, the total workforce growth in the DIFC Authority reached 23 percent, with Emiratis comprising approximately 40 percent of the total workforce.
Fifty-five percent of senior management within the DIFC Authority are Emiratis. When it comes to roles with the DIFC Authority, women and men reported 57 percent and 43 percent, respectively.
