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Dubai International Financial Centre targets 1,000 AI companies by 2030
The centre aims to create 5,000 jobs in the artificial intelligence economy after reaching its 500-company milestone two years ahead of schedule.
Dubai International Financial Centre announced a target of 1,000 artificial intelligence companies and 5,000 jobs in the AI economy by 2030, according to a statement by Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai International Financial Centre Authority, on 26 October 2026. The announcement follows Dubai AI Campus reaching its 500-company target two years ahead of the original deadline.
Target follows early milestone achievement#
Dubai AI Campus achieved its initial goal of attracting 500 companies two years before the scheduled date, Amiri stated during the Dubai AI Festival 2026. The centre now operates with over 10,000 active companies and more than 1,100 regulated financial firms, according to the statement reported by Emirates News Agency. Dubai International Financial Centre was established in 2004 to build a financial centre connecting East and West.
AI integration in client services#
Artificial intelligence currently supports more than 30 percent of client service activities at Dubai International Financial Centre. The authority plans to increase this proportion to 50 percent by the end of 2026, with a goal of 100 percent AI-supported client services by the end of 2027. The authority stated that artificial intelligence is becoming part of the economic infrastructure itself, affecting regulation, risk management, client service and decision-making processes.
Digital economy investment history#
Dubai began investing in the digital economy over 25 years ago through technology clusters, government digitisation and connectivity infrastructure, Amiri noted. The approach of building early, moving quickly and attracting talent has remained consistent as the centre expands into artificial intelligence, according to the statement. The authority is designing systems based on AI from the outset rather than adding the technology to existing structures, Amiri stated at the Dubai AI Festival 2026.
Financial centre regulatory framework#
The centre houses 1,100 regulated financial companies operating under its legal and regulatory framework. The authority stated that the difference between enhancing existing systems with AI and designing them on that basis from the beginning is that the former improves what already exists while the latter requires rethinking how a financial centre operates in an AI era. Dubai is ranked among the top 10 global financial centres, according to the statement.
Sources1 source across 1 domain
- snabusiness.comSNA BusinessDubai International Financial Centre targets 1,000 AI companies and 5,000 jobs by 2030; Dubai AI Campus reached 500-company target two years early; AI supports 30 percent of client services with target of 50 percent by end 2026; centre has 10,000 active companies and 1,100 regulated financial firms
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