Warm Welcome to the Top Leadership of Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Visiting Our Hong Kong Headquarter – Forging a New Global Landscape for Family Wealth

On 4 November 2025, the Hong Kong trust industry marked a significant milestone. The Hong Kong Fiduciary Association Limited (HKFA) and Hong Kong Trust Capital Management Limited (HKTCM) were honoured to host a delegation of top leadership from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) – a financial free zone chartered and regulated by the Government of Dubai.

The delegation comprised distinguished guests including H.E. Essa Kazim, Governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), H.E. Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer at DIFC Authority, and Mr. Salmaan Jaffery, Chief Business Development Officer at DIFC Authority. Moreover, Mr. Melvin Mui, Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Trust Capital Management Limited, has given a warm hospitality, while Mr. Mong Chung Chee (President of Hong Kong Fiduciary Association Limited in Asia Pacific Region), Mr. Jason Tan (Vice President of Hong Kong Fiduciary Association Limited in UAE), Mr. Edwin Cheung (Chief Executive Officer of Inheritance Asset Management Limited) and Mr. Keith Chan (Business Development Director of Inheritance Asset Management Limited) jointly hosted the conference.

During this visit, both parties engaged in thorough exchanges and cooperative discussions regarding development trends in family office, trust services, and global wealth management between Hong Kong and Dubai. This marked a new height in the strategic relationship between these two major international financial centres, signifying its further deepening.

1. DIFC: A Resplendent Pearl on the Global Financial Stage

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) stands as the premier global financial hub for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. Situated in Dubai’s prime central location, it provides stable, transparent and internationally aligned legal safeguards for financial transactions and commercial activities, occupying a pivotal position within the Middle Eastern and global financial stage.

As the regulatory authority of DIFC, the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) operates under stringent regulatory standards and efficient oversight capabilities. This ensures the robust functioning of financial markets, fosters continuous expansion in market scale, and facilitates the growing diversity of financial products and services. Consequently, the global influence of the DIFC continues to rise steadily.

2. In-depth Discussions: Hong Kong and Dubai’s Highly Complementary Financial Ecosystems

During the conference, representatives from both parties exchanged profound insights on core issues including the establishment and operation of family office, offshore trust services, and global asset allocation trends within the current global economic landscape.

Both parties concur that in today’s increasingly complex landscape of global capital flows and wealth succession requirements, Hong Kong serves as a “Pivotal Bridge” between Chinese Mainland and the globe. It possesses profound financial expertise, robust legal framework, and top-tier professional talent. Meanwhile, as a key financial hub for the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, Dubai offers an international business environment and common law framework that is drawing the attention of global wealth. By deepening cooperation, both parties can achieve resource sharing and complementary strengths, thereby jointly advancing the development of the global family wealth management industry.

3. Historic Moment: HKTCM Formally Submitted Letter of Intent for DIFC Category 3C License

As the conference drew to a close, it reached its most significant historic moment. In the presence of H.E. Essa Kazim, Governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Hong Kong Trust Capital Management Limited formally submitted its Letter of Intent for a DIFC Category 3C License to H.E. Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of the DIFC. This clearly signified the company’s intention to apply for the DIFC Category 3C License.

The DIFC Category 3C license represents one of the key qualifications granted by the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) to foreign financial institutions, enabling them to conduct specialised activities such as trust and asset management within the United Arab Emirates. This facilitates the provision of more comprehensive cross-border wealth planning and trust management services to clients. Securing a DIFC Category 3C license not only signifies high recognition of an institution’s strength and professional capabilities, but also serves as a vital passport to accessing the Middle Eastern financial market.

As the meeting came to an end, to express our most sincere gratitude and respect to the visiting leaders, we prepared special commemorative gifts: a Crystal Plaque of Appreciation with a high-quality clarity and a Wooden Plaque of Appreciation framed in a rustic and elegant wooden frame. These are not merely exquisite works of art, they embody our profound gratitude for the leaders’ journey from afar and our hopeful anticipation for future collaboration, adding a warm and unforgettable touch to this historic occasion.

4. With Imminent License Approval; Ready to Provide Trust Services for Middle Eastern Clients

We are confident that following the successful approval of the DIFC Category 3C License for the Hong Kong Trust Capital Management Limited, both HKFA and HKTCM will be positioned to deliver seamless and comprehensive “Trust Structure + Asset Management” one-stop services to high-net-worth clients across the Middle East within Dubai – a rapidly emerging global wealth centre. This will empower them to preserve, grow, and transfer their wealth to multi-generations.

This initiative not only aligns with our strategic decision to globalise our footprint and deepen our presence in the Middle Eastern financial markets, but also signifies that the Group’s Middle East strategic blueprint has progressed from the planning stage into substantive implementation.

5. Looking Ahead: Building a Strategic Partnership for Two Wealth Hubs

Looking ahead, the HKFA will leverage its extensive influence across the Asia-Pacific region to fully support the DIFC in its ambitious plans to further expand into Asian financial markets by 2026.

Concurrently, we plan to jointly organise more senior cooperation forums and in-depth industry exchange activities in Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore and other regions. This will foster greater connectivity between the two regions in aspects such as financial regulation, product innovation and talent development, thereby further strengthening the global strategic partnership between Hong Kong and Dubai as wealth hubs bridging East and West.

We are confident that through our joint endeavour, we will inject new momentum and opportunities into the global family wealth management sector, thus forging an even more illustrious future.