Dubai-headquartered international wealth managers, Hoxton Wealth has achieved regulatory approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), giving it freedom to operate in the Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC).
DIFC is widely accepted as the leading financial hub in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, where it is home to 7,000 active companies. Of these, around 1,000 operate in the financial services ecosystem.
Chris Ball, Hoxton Wealth CEO explains: “DIFC is a hugely powerful and influential financial centre that we are very proud to have joined. It operates within a rulebook that aligns with our company values and our client proposition.
“We see great value in the DIFC infrastructure where we will continue to work closely with existing partners and build new relationships.
“Hoxton has ambitious growth plans in the region and the DIFC provides the perfect launchpad for this.”
Hoxton Wealth, which was founded by Chris Ball in 2018 has 300 staff worldwide. The wealthtech-powered international advisory specialises in addressing the specific financial challenges faced by expatriates, providing expert guidance globally.
Chris adds: “Across the last 20 or so years, DIFC has built an incredible environment to do business in. It has been designed for growth, something that I like to think we are proof of. We are really excited to explore the opportunities that this license brings.”
In February 2025, DIFC announced the combined revenues for its companies in 2024 reached AED 1.78bn / $484 million.
DIFC now includes 27 of the world’s 29 global systemically important banks (G-SIBs), eight of the 10 pre-eminent global money managers, five of the highest ranked insurance brokers, and five of the top 10 interdealer brokers by volume.
At the end of 2024, the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) regulated or supervised more than 900 entities.