Abacus Group opens Dubai office to meet rising IT demand

Abacus Group has established its first office in the Middle East, opening a branch in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The move reflects increasing demand from financial firms in the United Arab Emirates for locally delivered managed IT and cybersecurity services.

Growing demand

Abacus Group's DIFC office will provide a suite of managed IT, multi-cloud, and cybersecurity services to financial firms operating in the region. The company reports that over the past 18 months, its client base in the UAE has doubled to more than 25. The company is also engaging with early-stage asset managers who are now choosing Dubai as a primary base of operations.

Demand for IT and cybersecurity expertise has grown alongside Dubai's emergence as a destination for global alternative investment managers. This trend is attributed to Dubai's business-friendly environment and robust regulatory framework, which has attracted both established and start-up financial organisations to set up or expand in the UAE.

Service offering

The office will offer Abacus's full portfolio to customers in the region, including its abacusFlex platform and specialist emergency incident response and red team services. These solutions aim to support firms in meeting compliance obligations under DIFC's legal and regulatory regimes and to provide protection against cyber threats.

The decision to locate the new office within the DIFC places Abacus within one of the principal financial and technology ecosystems in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region. The company says it will work with the DIFC community to support operational resilience for financial services firms based in the DIFC.

Local presence

Tom Cole, Managing Director of EMEA at Abacus Group, emphasised the demand from both large investment managers and smaller firms for on-the-ground support that meets global standards.

"Dubai has emerged as a leading destination for the world's top alternative investment managers, all seeking expertise and presence on the ground backed by global reach and capability. Abacus is uniquely positioned to deliver exactly that. In addition, we provide enterprise-grade IT and cybersecurity support to smaller firms in the city that have previously found it difficult to access the level of premier protection and expertise that we can provide," said Tom Cole, Managing Director of EMEA, Abacus Group.

The physical office in Dubai will also generate new local employment opportunities for IT and cybersecurity professionals. Abacus has relocated some of its staff from the UK and the US to Dubai and intends to draw on local talent as part of its growth strategy.

"We wanted to build a strong, well-structured base of operations in Dubai, and that meant physical offices on the ground. To demonstrate our commitment, we have relocated some of our top talent with exceptional leadership capabilities from the UK and the US," said Cole.

"At the same time, with Dubai's reputation for innovation, comes a rich pool of talent. We look forward to tapping into the next generation of professionals emerging from both the local education system and internationally. Because we are embedded in the market, we can nurture new talent to deliver even greater value to our clients," said Cole.

Financial centre

The DIFC is home to a concentration of financial institutions, regulators, and service providers, serving as a central hub for business in the MEASA region. It features an English common law framework and employs more than 48,000 professionals across over 8,000 companies.

Salmaan Jaffery, Chief Business Development Officer at DIFC Authority, commented on Abacus Group's arrival.

"We are delighted to welcome Abacus Group to DIFC. Their decision to establish a presence here reinforces Dubai's position as a global hub for innovation and resilience, bringing world-class IT and cyber security expertise to support the region's most dynamic financial institutions. As the leading financial centre in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, DIFC provides the ideal platform for forward-thinking firms like Abacus to scale their operations, access new markets and help shape the future of financial services," said Salmaan Jaffery, Chief Business Development Officer, DIFC Authority.