In an interview, Ahmad al-Tayer, the head of the financial centre, told the paper it will seek to take advantage of rising taxes on banks and the wealthy in other countries, and to leverage its extensive, newly-built infrastructure. He also stressed the Dubai International Financial Centre’s new return-to-basics strategy.
“Today no one is talking about outside investment, given market conditions,” al-Tayer is quoted as saying.
“We want to improve our assets, but our main focus is on our core business.”
“More competitive rents” at the DIFC, especially for tenants with substantial staff numbers, were among the strategies being planned, al-Tayer told the newspaper.
In addition to his role with the DIFC, al-Tayer is also chairman of the UAE’s biggest bank, Emirates NBD.