New Abu Dhabi Finance Centre Appoints DFSA COO As Advisor

Abu Dhabi Global Market, the emirate’s recently launched financial services centre, has appointed Jan Bladen, a senior executive from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), to lead its team.

Bladen, who served as the COO of DFSA from 2005, has been appointed as executive adviser and programme lead at the Global Market, a statement said.

Prior to joining DFSA, Bladen worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Geneva and Dubai as a member of the Global Risk Management Practice.

Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, chairman of Abu Dhabi Global Market, said: “Jan Bladen is ideally suited to address our key priorities which are to develop the legal, regulatory and operational platforms that will provide the foundation for the growth of The Global Market.”

Bladen added: “The Global Market is a huge strategic initiative for Abu Dhabi and will become a significant contributor to the economy of the UAE.”

The Abu Dhabi financial centre was launched in February last year, after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, president of the UAE, passed a federal decree to create the emirate’s first financial free zone.

The Global Market will offer financial services such as banking and fund management with an expected focus on commodities trading. Similar to the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), it will also have its own courts and financial regulator.