The Middle East’s

4. Arif Amiri

Designation: CEO
Company: DIFC Authority
Established: 2004
Country: UAE
Category: Freezones

DIFC aims to achieve net zero by 2045, five years ahead of the UAE’s national target. In 2025, DIFC launched the “1 Million Learners” initiative under the DIFC Sustainable Finance Catalyst to equip one million individuals with sustainability and sustainable finance knowledge by 2030. By the end of 2025, 99,084 participants had completed its sustainability-related learning programs, supported by 32 partner organizations. Amiri has served as CEO of DIFC Authority since 2015 and, to date, has overseen banking assets growth of $240 billion.