1. The GCC Allocator Concentration

Nobody Talks About This

Greenstone specializes in placing capital with GCC-based allocators who commit $2M–$250M per fund. That range covers family offices ($2M–$50M), institutionals ($50M–$100M), and sovereign wealth ($100M+) — all within a 3-hour flight radius.

Would you rather fly to 12 cities across 4 continents, or meet 15 allocators in Dubai in 3 days?

Geography became strategy. Onex Corporation's ONCAP V closed at $1.3B with Greenstone as placement agent. How many commitments came from GCC allocators within 1 timezone?

2. The DIFC Regulatory Advantage

Boring But Critical

DIFC's Category 4 licence allows firms to operate as investment advisors and placement agents under UK-style Common Law. Before DIFC, placement agents flew in from Singapore, money stayed offshore, compliance spanned 3 jurisdictions. Now? One jurisdiction. Same protections as London. Better access to capital.

The Shift
440+
Wealth managers
85
Hedge funds
1
Jurisdiction

3. The Family Office Migration

This Is Accelerating

Family offices are relocating to Dubai at scale: 0% personal income tax, 10-year golden visas, GMT+4 timezone bridging Asia and Europe, English-speaking, international schools, safety.

But here's what matters for placement: family offices don't just bring capital. They bring networks. A $500M SFO relocating to Dubai brings their entrepreneur friends (co-investors), previous VC/PE relationships, and operating company deal flow. Placement agents aren't just accessing allocators — they're accessing the network effects of relocated wealth.

4. The IR Talent Gap

Opportunity for You

Dubai has the infrastructure. Dubai has the allocators. Dubai does not have enough IR/capital formation professionals. Most IR talent trained in NY/London. Dubai's financial ecosystem is <10 years mature. Placement agents are expanding faster than talent pipelines.

If you're doing IR in London or NY and you're open to Dubai — you're in demand. The supply/demand imbalance is real.

5. The Timezone Math

Underrated Advantage

Dubai (GMT+4): 9am Dubai = 6am London (early but workable) = 1pm Singapore (perfect) = 10:30am Mumbai (perfect). If you're placing capital from GCC/MENA/Asia allocators into Western funds, Dubai is the only city with workable overlap for Europe mornings AND Asia afternoons. Singapore has Asia but Europe is rough. London has Europe but Asia is brutal. Dubai splits the difference.

6. The Capital Shift to Private Markets

Why Now

Global allocators are shifting from public to private markets. Pension funds increasing PE/VC allocations. Family offices going direct. Sovereign wealth diversifying. When capital shifts to privates, you need more LP relationships, more fund placement, more IR teams. Dubai positioned itself as THE hub for this shift in MEASA.

7. What This Means

Dubai became the fund placement capital because: GCC allocators concentrated in one region, DIFC regulatory infrastructure caught up, family offices migrated at scale, timezone bridges Asia/Europe, private markets boom needs IR talent, and network effects are compounding.

What Greenstone's DIFC expansion signals: the largest placement firm in the GCC just doubled down on Dubai. That's not a bet. That's a moat.