Dubai International Financial Centre
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32
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6
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Search complete. 32 mentions across 6 episodes found for "Dubai International Financial Centre".
Sep 17, 2026
Alaa AlaabedGUEST
I look after our Islamic financial market product propositions across jurisdictions.
Alaa AlaabedGUEST
I'm based out of DIFC and I'm increasingly looking at digital asset initiatives led by the bank with the recognition that digital is indeed the way forward and it is becoming mainstream.
Alaa AlaabedGUEST
And capitalizing on our digital assets expertise and our Islamic banking franchise that spans more than 30 years, we think that Islamic and Standard Chartered is uniquely positioned to lead the way forward in Islamic digital assets.
CJ DohertyHOST
Great.
Tim ElliottHOST
I'm interested in this, so I'm just going to let you talk, and every now and again I'll butt in with probably a stupid question, but you're used to it now.
Tim ElliottHOST
DIFC Zabeel District, perhaps the future financial lifestyle extension, versus...
Tim ElliottHOST
Expo City, the emerging trade logistics and innovation corridor.
Tim ElliottHOST
Two very distinct areas of Dubai.
Tim ElliottHOST
Is this something that you mull over at the weekends and consider?
AJ MenonGUEST
Yes, and it's not just me.
AJ MenonGUEST
I mean, when I went to this briefing of DIFC, there were quite a few other brokers who came with me and they asked me this question.
AJ MenonGUEST
I mean, DIFC seems to be like a heavyweight champion and Expo City looks more like a bantamweight champion.
Synthetic SalmaHOST
In a first, the National Railways Authority has set in motion a contract with Austria's Plasser & Thürer to import 14 track maintenance machines, which is the largest ever single order of maintenance equipment.
Synthetic SalmaHOST
Meanwhile in the UAE, CEL is preparing to launch the Dubai International Financial Center to serve Egyptian expatriates.
Synthetic SalmaHOST
It would ease cash transfers by allowing them to pay utilities and family obligations in Egypt directly.
Synthetic SalmaHOST
And finally, if you're into Bitcoin, you know it's been having a rough couple of weeks.
Alex ScottHOST
I'm your host, Alex, and today I'm joined by Rene Michel, Global Head of Digital Assets at Standard Chartered Bank.
Alex ScottHOST
Rene is based in the Dubai International Financial Center, where he leads Standard Chartered's innovation and delivery of digital asset solutions for institutional clients, spending, crypto, custody, trading, tokenization, and stablecoins.
Alex ScottHOST
Beyond the bank, Rene is deeply embedded in the global fintech and crypto community.
Alex ScottHOST
He co-chairs the Global Digital Finance Financial Institutions Crypto Working Group and the Institute of International Finance Digital Assets Forum and sits on the Reserve Bank of Australia's Project Acacia Independent Advisory Group.
Tom W. BellGUEST
The next step up to generalize are special jurisdictions of which there are now a number of successful ones.
Tom W. BellGUEST
So now I'm thinking of like the Dubai International Financial Center, the Abu Dhabi Global Market, the Astana International Financial Center in Kazakhstan.
Tom W. BellGUEST
The other two zones are in the UAE.
Tom W. BellGUEST
So those zones, which have been very successful, especially the Dubai International Financial Center, they've offered not just special tax rules, but an entire complex of commercial rules, say banking rules, contract, employment.
Tom W. BellGUEST
investment, securities, designed to attract an international clientele.
Tom W. BellGUEST
They even have their own local courts.
Mark StewardGUEST
That's the starting point.
Mark StewardGUEST
It might be useful if I start with a brief overview of what we do here and what the Dubai International Financial Center is, because I'm pretty sure there are different views and perhaps misleading views about what it actually is particularly in london and then i'll tell you what have been the highlights and the challenges so the dubai international financial center it's a unique special zone founded in 2004 to build a global financial center here in the middle east the difc is unique because it has a legal system that has been carved out of the mainstream legal system in the uae And it's the common law legal system with a common law court, international judges, including senior judges from England and Australia, as well as local judges.
Mark StewardGUEST
The current chief justice is another Australian.
Mark StewardGUEST
And there's an independent financial regulator, the Dubai FSA, which is what I lead.