Operating in a number of jurisdictions, Hawksford is pushing ahead into its business links in the UAE, joining a trend of other international firms that have done so.

Global service provider Hawksford has been officially appointed as a provider at the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, part of a build-out of Hawksford’s business in the Gulf region.

Hawksford, which is headquartered in Jersey, has become an “approved international service provider”; it will work with the DMCC to encourage corporate registrations, support business expansion strategies and attract foreign direct investment into Dubai. 

Working with its teams in the UK and Singapore, the agreement will also see Hawksford support greater trade flows across the UK-GCC-ASEAN corridor, the firm said in a statement late last week.

The DMCC is home to more than 25,000 companies from across the globe, representing sectors including commodities, technology, sustainability and professional services.

The agreement comes slightly more than a year after Hawksford formally opened its Dubai office, which houses its global solutions team.

“We are one of only a select few ISPs to be approved through an agreement with the DMCC, reaffirming our strategic commitment to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and positioning us perfectly to strengthen our support as a trusted partner for SMEs and businesses from the UK and South-East Asia looking to expand into the UAE,” Tommaso Barindelli (pictured below), head of business development, Dubai at Hawksford, said.

Tommaso Barindelli

A number of firms have set up shop recently in Dubai and neighbouring Abu Dhabi, exploiting the rising level of demand for wealth management, for example inter-generational wealth and business transfer advisory work. Hamilton Lane, a private markets investment management firm, opened its newest office in the Middle East in February in order to meet the needs of regional clients more effectively. Last November, Rothschild & Co opened a new office in Dubai, serving ultra-high net worth families, entrepreneurs, charities and foundations. 

Hawkford operates in London, Belfast, Milan, Jersey, Mauritius, Dublin, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Dubai.