Greenstone DIFC expansion unlocks access to global private funds for DIFC-based investors

Greenstone, the largest fund placement firm in the Middle East, has obtained a Category 4 licence from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to operate out of Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region. 

Headquartered in Dubai and in its 15th year of operations, Greenstone has a proven track record of success providing streamlined access to international private equity and other alternative investment opportunities. Greenstone’s strategic expansion into the DIFC serves DIFC-based institutional investors and family offices, in compliance with DFSA regulations.  
The licence positions Greenstone as a gateway for global fund managers seeking to connect with capital from the DIFC. It also affirms the company’s commitment to compliance, transparency, and regulatory excellence.

As the UAE experiences an influx of talent and capital, Dubai has emerged as the region’s preferred location for alternative investment. This is underscored by several entrants to the DIFC’s ecosystem, including large and smaller multi-strategy hedge funds, investment management platforms, and various others from Asia, North America, and Europe. Today, the DIFC is home to 85 pure play hedge funds, with 69 of these included within the ‘billion-dollar club’, and more than 440 wealth and asset management firms. 

Greenstone, with more than 1,500 deep-rooted relationships with Family Offices and UHNWIs, associations with over 200 institutional investors, and more than $100 billion raised by Greenstone-represented funds across the alternative investments’ spectrum, complements the DIFC’s supportive ecosystem.

Alex Gemici, CEO of Greenstone, said: “Expanding Greenstone’s UAE licensing to include the DIFC reinforces our commitment to serving DIFC-based investors and marks a strategic milestone in our ongoing dedication to connect GCC investors with global leading fund managers.”

Salmaan Jaffery, Chief Business Development Officer at DIFC Authority, said: “We are delighted to welcome Greenstone to DIFC’s rapidly expanding private investments ecosystem. Their presence underscores DIFC’s growing role as a conduit between the region’s significant generational wealth and global alternative investment opportunities. With over $100 billion raised across private equity, credit, venture capital, infrastructure, real estate, hedge funds, and secondaries, Greenstone combines institutional rigour with deep investor relationships. Their expertise uniquely positions them to serve the evolving needs of family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, reinforcing DIFC’s commitment to this strategically important segment.” 

Omar Al-Gharabally, CIO of Greenstone, said: "We are excited to enter the DIFC investment community, and adding this regulatory capability to our broader GCC regulatory licensing framework boosts our connectivity with our existing investor relationships within the DIFC.

We look forward to continuing our engagement and dialogue with our investors based within the DIFC and our continued coordination with the DFSA."