Index provider FTSE Group has opened an office within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
The total number of FTSE offices across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas is now 13.
The new office will provide a gateway for FTSE’s growing business in the Middle East and Africa.
“The new office will support FTSE’s regional presence, bringing FTSE’s global expertise to sovereign wealth funds and family offices. It will also act as a hub for FTSE’s growing operations in Africa,” says Jonathan Cooper, managing director, Middle East and Africa. “FTSE already works closely with local exchanges, market authorities and asset managers in the Middle East and Africa to support the development and capacity of domestic financial markets. This new office will further strengthen our ability to support our growing customer base in the region.”
Jeffery Singer, chief executive of DIFC Authority, says: “We are delighted to be chosen as the hub for the global index provider, FTSE. FTSE has a strong international presence and their decision to establish their regional base in DIFC will provide them with the ideal platform and modern infrastructure they require to further develop and to support financial markets in the Middle East and Africa region.”
Since 2010, FTSE has classified the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as Secondary Emerging in its FTSE Global Equity Index Series (GEIS). FTSE has established ongoing dialogues with markets across the region and Kuwait is currently on the FTSE Watch List for inclusion in GEIS as Secondary Emerging.
