One Ten Associates in the UAE: Market insights and a strategic step forward.

In May, Mush Ali (Founder of One Ten Associates) and Harry Rogers (Head of Legal and Compliance Recruitment) visited the UAE for a packed schedule of meetings, conferences and networking events. Their time in Dubai and Abu Dhabi marked an important milestone in One Ten Associates’ relationship with the region - one that reflects the growing maturity of the fund management industry in the UAE and our ongoing commitment to serving it.

Market maturity and talent trends

Across meetings with representatives from the DIFC, DFSA, ADGM and FSRA, it was clear that the region continues to benefit from strong institutional inflows. More and more fund managers are choosing to establish a presence within the free zones, and firms that launched locally with five-person teams just a few years ago are now operating with headcount in the 40s and 50s.

The increase in fund management activity has naturally been followed by a growth in human capital. As firms grow in scale and ambition, we’re seeing more middle and back-office infrastructure being relocated to the region - a move supported by the ease of business set-up, visa processes, and the strong support ecosystem the free zones provide.

Importantly, this trend is not just about location strategy, but talent strategy. A growing number of fund managers are now willing to accommodate their top global talent in the UAE - not necessarily because the function demands it, but because the individual does. Location flexibility is becoming a core part of talent acquisition in the fund management space.

The evolving role of compliance, legal, finance and operations

The market remains largely front-office focused, but that picture is starting to shift. As headcount grows, more firms are weighing up whether to outsource critical regulatory roles such as the Compliance Officer or MLRO - or to bring those functions in-house. This is creating increasing demand for compliance, legal, finance and operational professionals with fund management experience who are either based in, or open to relocating to, the UAE.

Connecting talent with opportunity  

After over three years of regularly visiting the region, One Ten Associates is proud to now formalise our presence there. We’re pleased to announce the opening of our UAE office - a natural extension of our continued commitment to supporting the fund management industry globally.

This move enhances our ability to connect clients in the Middle East with high-quality talent across London, Europe, the US and Asia. We will also be looking to support our London and New York HQ clients who are thinking of relocating to the UAE.

Our London office will remain the hub of our operations, and our focus on the UK market is unchanged but we are now even better placed to support clients and candidates looking to navigate cross-border recruitment in the alternative investment space.

As always, we look forward to sharing more insights in the months ahead as we continue to build relationships and deliver value on the ground in both London and the UAE.

As always, get in touch with any questions or to tell us about your recruitment needs.