1,000 New Jobs Created In Dubai’s DIFC In H1 2013

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) registered 67 new companies in the first half of the year, bringing the total number of active registered firms in the centre to 979, an increase of seven per cent from year-end 2012.

The total includes 365 regulated and 481 non-regulated companies and 133 retailers, DIFC said in a statement.

Up to 1,000 new jobs were also created within the centre during the first half of the year, with the entire DIFC workforce now totalling 15,000.

The financial centre also issued 94 commercial licences in H1 2013.

“Interest from North America and Europe continues to increase as western multinationals look to diversify their operations and expand towards the East,” said the statement.

“DIFC has also witnessed sustained interest from Middle Eastern and Asian firms looking to increase their exposure to opportunities arising in Africa and the West.”

Currently, around 36 per cent of the regulated companies come from Europe, 27 per cent from the Middle East, 16 per cent from North America, 11 per cent from Asia, and 10 per cent from the rest of the world.

Some of the new regulated companies that entered DIFC in H1 2013 include China Construction Bank (Dubai) Limited, Bank of Baroda and Agricultural Bank of China.

DIFC also attracted 21 new retailers during the period, including The Magazine Shop and Max Electronics.

Total leased commercial space within the centre increased by six per cent from December 2012 to reach 122,300 square feet in the first half of 2013, said the statement.

Occupancy of the DIFC-owned commercial offices in the Gate District stood at 97 per cent of the leasable space, while occupancy within the DIFC-owned retail space reached 99 per cent.