Bentley Reid Establishes DIFC Office as Dubai Strengthens Its Wealth Hub Status

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Bentley Reid, an employee-owned wealth manager, has set up operations in Dubai with the formal incorporation of Bentley Reid (DIFC) Limited. The new office sits within the DIFC Funds Centre and operates under a Category 4 licence granted by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).

Chief Executive Peter Clark has moved from the UK to direct the regional rollout, underscoring the firm’s strategic focus on the Middle East. With more than four decades advising high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families, Bentley Reid already maintains established practices in Hong Kong and the UK, and views Dubai as a natural extension to serve the region’s international clientele.

Dubai’s wealth ecosystem has expanded notably in recent years. Henley & Partners ranked the city as having the largest concentration of wealth in the Middle East at the end of 2024, and projections indicate the UAE could attract about 9,800 new millionaires in 2025—outpacing traditional centres such as London and Singapore. The DIFC now hosts over 1,000 family-focused entities, including roughly 120 family offices that oversee upwards of USD 1.2 trillion in assets globally.

Bentley Reid says its Dubai presence is intended to deliver tailored, discreet wealth management for international families and expatriates. The firm points to its experience with cross-border clients in Asia as an advantage when addressing the Middle East’s increasingly sophisticated private wealth needs.