DIFC enters into a strategic partnership with Mizuho Financial Group

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, has entered into a strategic partnership with Mizuho Financial Group to accelerate innovation, strengthen UAE-Japan economic cooperation, and support the international expansion of Japanese start-ups and innovation-led businesses.

Witnessed by His Excellency Essa Kazim, Governor of DIFC, the agreement was signed by His Excellency Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Authority, and Suneel Bakhshi, Deputy Group CEO at Mizuho, in the presence of senior executives from both DIFC and Mizuho Financial Group. 

The collaboration will enable up to 6,000 Mizuho start-up clients to access DIFC’s innovation ecosystem, including market-entry and soft-landing support through the DIFC Innovation Hub. Eligible start-ups will receive access to Ignyte, DIFC’s flagship digital innovation platform, providing curated investor and corporate connections, mentorship, and ecosystem programs to support scale-up and international expansion, subject to individual business needs.

DIFC is home to the UAE’s only ecosystem of Japanese financial services organisations. Amongst the 19 companies are Mizuho Bank Ltd, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, MUFG Bank, Ltd, Mitsui & Co. Middle East Limited, Mitsubishi Corporation, Nomura Singapore Limited, Nomura International plc, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, which collectively employ a 560-strong workforce.

His Excellency Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Authority, said: “DIFC has a longstanding reputation for driving the financial services agenda between the UAE and Japan. For 20 years, we have welcomed Japanese companies to the DIFC ecosystem, and these organisations have found value in the world-class infrastructure, legal and regulatory clarity, diversified talent pool, and strategic gateway to the region that the Centre provides. This bond underpins wider bilateral economic relations between the two nations, further deepening our ties as the global economy navigates innovation, emerging technologies, and new paradigms of financial assets, leading to further knowledge exchange and cooperation.

"As the region's leading financial and innovation ecosystem, DIFC is uniquely positioned to connect global talent, capital and ideas. By enabling up to 6,000 Mizuho start-up clients to access the DIFC Innovation Hub and Ignyte ecosystem, we are creating a powerful platform for collaboration, innovation and growth that will benefit both countries and support the next generation of global businesses."

Mr. Masahiko Ejima, Regional Head for Middle East, Africa, Turkey & Central Asia Caucasus, said: “At Mizuho, we believe that start-ups are a driving force behind future economic growth and innovation. Over the past three years, we have provided approximately JPY 1 trillion in financing to Japanese start-ups and built a dedicated team of more than 400 specialists across the Group to support their growth and ambitions. Our partnership with DIFC marks an important milestone in connecting Japanese entrepreneurship with global opportunities. By bringing together Japanese entrepreneurship and DIFC’s dynamic ecosystem, we believe this collaboration will unlock new opportunities for innovation, investment and sustainable growth, while enabling Japanese start-ups to broaden their ambitions across the region.”

As the largest innovation ecosystem in the region, DIFC Innovation Hub is home to more than 1,300 active technology and innovation firms, spanning FinTech, AI, Web3, sustainability and future-focused industries. Through Ignyte, innovative companies gain access to investors, mentors, corporate partners and tailored programmes designed to support business growth and market expansion.”

Promoting insightful knowledge-sharing and opportunities for investment, DIFC hosted the first Gulf Business & Investment Forum 2026 on 14 January. This was a collaboration between the Government of Japan, Japan Exchange Group which operates the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Japan External Trade Organisation and Japanese financial services organisations for institutional investors, financial institutions, venture capital firms, start-ups and government officials.

As the UAE continues to pursue new avenues for trade and investment and economic partnerships with Japan through a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, DIFC has created inroads in enhancing cooperation, cross-border financial activities, financial supervision and FinTech. In 2018 the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) and Japan’s Financial Services Agency signed a cooperation framework to form a foundation for bilateral cooperation in the financial sector. Additionally, in 2012 the DFSA signed an agreement with Japan’s Ministry of Economy and trade to promote commodity derivatives markets of both countries. 

With over 50 years of successful bilateral relations, the UAE remains Japan’s top trading partner among GCC countries in terms of imports and exports, receiving 52 per cent of Japan’s exports to GCC countries. UAE investment in Japan has increased 100 per cent over the past five years, while the country accounts for 80 per cent of Japanese investments in the Middle East.