Varenne Capital Partners has established a regional presence in the Dubai International Financial Centre, opening a new office through Varenne Capital Ltd, a wholly owned UAE subsidiary regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority.
The Dubai launch brings the Paris-based investment manager closer to the Middle East’s growing institutional and private capital base, while adding another international asset manager to DIFC’s expanding wealth and alternatives ecosystem. The DIFC announcement said the Dubai office marks a new stage in Varenne Capital’s international development after the firm built its business across Europe.
Varenne Capital describes itself as a research-driven global investment manager focused on global developed-market equities. Its own website says the firm’s purpose is to deliver long-term returns while minimizing unnecessary risk-taking and maximizing added value.
Varenne Names Regional Leadership
The Dubai operation will be led by Giacomo de Nardis, who has been named Senior Executive Officer and Director of Varenne Capital Ltd. De Nardis has spent more than 15 years with Varenne and has been closely involved in the firm’s investment process.
Giuseppe Perrone, co-founder and President of Varenne Capital Partners, said DIFC offered the “energy, the talent, and the connections” needed for the firm’s growth, adding that de Nardis’s tenure and investment experience made him the right person to represent the firm in Dubai.
De Nardis said Dubai had built one of the world’s most dynamic financial ecosystems, pointing to its talent base, technology depth and ambition. His appointment gives the new office a senior leader with long experience inside Varenne, rather than presenting the Dubai presence as only a representative foothold.
Another Global Manager Joins DIFC
DIFC Authority welcomed the firm’s arrival, with Salmaan Jaffery, Chief Business Development Officer at DIFC Authority, saying Varenne’s decision to establish operations in the center reflected DIFC’s reputation among internationally regulated financial firms. He added that Varenne’s investment approach would add expertise to the center’s asset management community.
The announcement comes as DIFC continues to attract hedge funds, asset managers and private capital platforms looking to serve regional and global investors from Dubai. DIFC said in January 2026 that more than 100 hedge fund managers were registered in the center, including 81 managers each overseeing more than $1 billion in assets.
DIFC also said its wealth and asset management community included more than 470 firms, alongside over 1,250 family-related business entities. Those figures underline how Dubai is increasingly competing for fund managers, private wealth advisers and alternative investment firms that want proximity to capital from family offices, sovereign investors and high-net-worth individuals.
Dubai’s Financial Hub Continues to Grow
DIFC’s broader business growth has also accelerated. The center said active registered companies reached 8,844 by the end of 2025, up 28% year on year, while 2,525 active companies were added during the year, a 39% increase from 2024.
DIFC also said it is now home to more than 500 wealth and asset management companies, an increase of 22% in 2025, with 215 joining the center over the previous two and a half years.
DIFC is also preparing for its next phase of growth as demand for office space and financial services infrastructure continues to rise. The expansion plans reflect Dubai’s broader push to deepen its role as a regional base for global finance.
Varenne’s Investment Approach
Varenne’s investment platform is built around developed-market equities and multiple strategy lines. The firm’s website lists strategies including Varenne Long Short, Varenne Valeur, Varenne Global and Varenne Conviction.
The DIFC announcement said Varenne’s approach includes long equity, short equity, merger arbitrage and tail-risk hedging. In practical terms, that places the firm within the group of internationally active managers using a mix of equity selection, downside protection and event-driven techniques to manage portfolios across market cycles.
The Dubai office does not, by itself, change Varenne’s investment philosophy. It does, however, put the firm closer to a region where institutional allocators, family offices and private clients have been increasing exposure to alternative and actively managed investment strategies. DIFC has identified rising allocations to alternatives and deepening regional wealth as two factors supporting continued hedge fund and asset management growth.
Regional Presence, Global Competition
Varenne’s decision to establish a DFSA-regulated subsidiary in DIFC reflects a broader competitive shift among global financial centers. Dubai and Abu Dhabi have both benefited from international managers seeking regional access, a favorable time zone between Asia and Europe, and proximity to Gulf capital.
The new office gives Varenne a regulated platform in one of the Middle East’s most active financial districts. It also strengthens DIFC’s pitch as a base for asset managers that want to combine international regulation, regional client coverage and access to a growing ecosystem of investment firms.
Varenne’s arrival is therefore not just a single-company expansion story. It is another sign that Dubai’s role in global asset management is moving beyond marketing access and toward deeper operational presence by international firms.
