GRT Capital Management has established a representative office in the Dubai International Financial Centre, giving the Hong Kong-based asset manager a base from which to pursue institutional and private-wealth business across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
The company announced the opening on Sept. 2, describing Dubai as a regional hub for its engagement with professional investors, institutional clients and ultra-high-net-worth families.
GRT said the new entity, GRT Capital Management Limited (DIFC Representative Office), is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority. The DFSA is the independent regulator responsible for financial services conducted in or from the DIFC. A representative office generally provides a firm with a local presence for relationship-building and market development, but its permitted activities depend on the scope of its regulatory license.
Tim Haywood, managing director of the representative office, said: “The MEASA region is home to significant private and public wealth, and regional investors have a growing appetite for alternative investments. With the United Arab Emirates serving as a key international financial hub, DIFC's robust legal and regulatory framework makes it a strong platform for our regional expansion. We’re excited to take this significant step forward in our ability to serve clients in MEASA.”
GRT Brings Private-Market Focus to Dubai
GRT operates in private markets, with activities spanning real assets, strategic land investments and asset-backed financing. The firm provides fund management, discretionary portfolio management and investment advisory services. It also has private credit, strategic land and direct real estate development among its investment strategies.
The firm says it offers Shariah-compliant investment strategies alongside its other private-market offerings. GRT stated that its Shariah-compliant approach has been reviewed and endorsed by Masryef Advisory, a Malaysia-based Islamic finance advisory firm.
GRT’s core business is based in Hong Kong, where the company says it holds Securities and Futures Commission license number BBT933. Its authorization covers Type 4 regulated activity, or advising on securities, and Type 9 activity, which covers asset management. GRT focuses on professional rather than retail investors, aligning with the institutional and private-wealth clients it plans to engage from Dubai.
Jamie Lam, president of GRT, said: “The establishment of our DIFC Office is a natural progression of GRT's growth strategy. We see the MEASA region as one of our key growth markets, and this expansion enables us to strengthen our regional presence and deepen engagement with investors and strategic partners across the MEASA region.”
Asset Managers Continue to Build DIFC Presence
GRT arrives as the DIFC’s wealth and asset management community continues to expand. The financial center reported more than 10,000 active registered companies at the end of the first half of 2026, including 1,134 regulated firms. Its figures also showed 592 wealth and asset management companies, among them more than 100 hedge fund managers.
Those totals point to a financial center that is broadening both its overall business community and its specialist investment sector. Wealth managers, asset managers and other financial firms now account for a meaningful part of the companies operating from the DIFC.
GRT’s arrival fits within this wider shift as Dubai builds its role as a base for firms seeking closer access to regional investors. The move also reflects growing competition among financial centers to attract asset managers, family offices and institutional capital.
The influx has also placed pressure on the DIFC’s physical capacity. Dubai authorities announced plans in early 2026 for a major expansion known as the DIFC Zabeel District. The project is designed to provide capacity for as many as 42,000 companies by 2040, although completion will occur in stages and the eventual number of occupants will depend on future demand.
The Dubai opening extends GRT’s footprint beyond its established Asian base and places the firm within a financial center connecting markets across three regions. Its presence in the DIFC also creates a link between the company’s private-market expertise in Hong Kong and Dubai’s increasingly international investment community.
