DIFC Financial Landscape: Navigating Growth, Regulations, and Investment Strategies

Muneer heads Simmons & Simmons’ award-winning Middle East financial markets and services regulatory practice, in addition to our international Islamic finance practice. He is also a member of our international FinTech team. He specialises in financial services regulatory matters and advises both regional and international financial institutions and asset management groups on a wide range of regulatory and transactional matters. In particular, Muneer helps international banks and asset management firms to navigate complex cross-border regulatory issues relating to the provision of financial services, including structuring and licensing issues, across the Middle East and the wider regions. Muneer also has significant experience and has recognised expertise in structuring a wide range of complex and innovative funds, financial products and services.

Adam specialises in advising clients on complex international, cross-border and sensitive areas of law, with a particular emphasis on financial crime and financial services regulatory matters. He has gained a strong background in the local and regional framework and practicalities that are vital to understanding the international and domestic sensitivities in the Middle East. He provides current and pragmatic advice on the region’s anti-money laundering legislation, boycott provisions, anti-bribery legislation, and sanctions regimes. In addition, Adam is regularly instructed to advise both local and international clients on the effects of the recent amendments to the UAE Penal Code and Human Resources Law and how they impact the anti-bribery framework in the UAE.

Nina specialises in advising leading global asset managers on the provision of cross-border financial services across the GCC as well as advising on general UAE regulatory matters. In particular, her practice focuses on offering an integrated approach throughout the whole lifespan of investment funds, for example, from initial structuring advice, to fund formation, advising on fund raising activities and providing ongoing support throughout the life of the fund. She brings a diverse range of previous experience to Simmons’ Financial Markets team which goes beyond pure financial regulation and adds to the breadth of advice the team can provide.

Matthias has a broad experience advising a variety of financial institutions on DIFC, ADGM and “Onshore UAE” regulatory issues, including banking, market infrastructure and payments related matters. Given the growth of the region’s virtual asset sector, he has also assisted a range of virtual asset service providers, such as exchanges, brokers and wallet providers, with navigating the complex virtual asset regulatory space in the UAE and across the GCC.

Sami is a New York Bar qualified lawyer with over nine years’ experience in investment funds spent in Europe and the Middle East. He advises on fund structuring, including the drafting of funds relevant documentation such as private placement memoranda and limited partnership agreements, as well as on investments by private and institutional investors into regulated investment structures.