Dubai International Financial Centre, Financial business district in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The Dubai International Financial Centre is a 110-hectare special economic zone of office towers, hotels, retail and galleries. Its centrepiece is a gate-like structure of two stone-coloured towers joined by a top bridge, framing a lit tower beyond; lower glass flanks glow at night. Behind, dark glass towers and a tan tower with a window grid rise above sand-coloured buildings with arched windows and domed roofs.

Established in 2004 as a special economic zone covering 110 hectares, the centre was created as a financial hub for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. Its private exchange opened in September 2005 as the Dubai International Financial Exchange and was rebranded NASDAQ Dubai in 2008. In 2021 Lord Angus Glennie was sworn in as a judge of the DIFC Courts.

DIFC laws and regulations are written in English and default to English law when ambiguous, so English is the working language of the zone. Its art galleries show Middle Eastern and international artists and sometimes host auctions, while three hotels—Ritz-Carlton, Waldorf Astoria and Four Seasons—serve the district.

The zone sits between Sheikh Zayed Road and the Dubai Creek extension, with Gate Avenue running through its centre as a covered pedestrian spine linking towers, hotels and galleries. NASDAQ Dubai trades Sunday to Thursday, 10:00 to 14:00, so weekday mornings bring the most activity. The Gate frames the main entrance.

The DIFC Courts apply common law in English, with judges drawn from England, Singapore and Hong Kong; Lord (Angus) Glennie was sworn in before Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum in 2021. Criminal law and immigration rules of the UAE still apply inside the zone.