The 100: Essa Kazim, Governor, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Through decades of service, Essa Kazim has played a defining role in shaping Dubai's economic identity.
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This article forms part of The 100, Entrepreneur Middle East's annual guide spotlighting the most influential people across the GCC.
Essa Kazim is one of the primary architects of Dubai's rise as a global financial center. As Governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre, he oversees a district that has become home to thousands of firms operating across banking, fintech, asset management, insurance, and professional services — a hub that has put Dubai firmly on the world's financial map.
Kazim's career has long intersected with the transformation of Dubai's economy. With a background in finance and economics, he took on leadership roles that shaped the city's market infrastructure, including his time as CEO of Dubai Financial Market. He helped lay the foundation for regulated capital markets in the UAE, enabling investors — both domestic and international — to find a trusted home in Dubai.
At DIFC, he has championed a strategy built on innovation and global integration. Under his guidance, the center has expanded into a leading fintech ecosystem, supporting startups, venture capital, and regulatory frameworks that embrace the future of financial technology. Kazim's stewardship emphasizes long-term growth: a regulatory environment that protects investors while allowing ambition to thrive.
He is also committed to education and capacity building, understanding that sustaining Dubai's financial edge requires developing local expertise. He has contributed to training initiatives, academic programs, and mentoring talent to ensure the UAE continues to produce leaders who can compete globally.
Kazim's voice carries weight, not because of volume but because of vision. He has earned a reputation for measured leadership — strategic, data-informed, and always aligned with Dubai's broader aspirations to innovate and diversify. His work reinforces the idea that great cities are built not only on skyscrapers, but on the flow of ideas, capital, and opportunity.
Through decades of service, Essa Kazim has played a defining role in shaping Dubai's economic identity. He remains a guiding force for the city's future, ensuring that DIFC is not simply a financial district, but a beacon for global business — a place where the world's next chapter of finance is being written.
