2026 SBAI & DIFC Regional Capital, Global Opportunity - Opportunity in Resilience

Salmaan Jaffery

Chief Business Development Officer, Dubai International Financial Centre Authority

Salmaan is the Chief Business Development Officer for the Dubai International Financial Centre. He is a member of the management team and is responsible for overseeing the DIFC client portfolio as well as the DIFC’s growth strategy.

Salmaan has 25+ years of experience in North America, Asia and MENA with leadership roles at global firms such as Oliver Wyman, Citibank, American Express and PwC.

Mr. Jaffery holds an MBA from Cornell University and a BA in International Relations (Phi Beta Kappa) from Colgate University in the United States and serves on the Boards of several non-profit organizations.

Jonathan Beardall

Head of Wealth & Asset Management, Dubai International Financial Centre Authority

In his capacity as Head of Wealth and Asset Management, Jonathan Beardall is responsible for the growth and ongoing relationship management of the Centre’s Asset Managers, Fund Managers, Hedge Funds, Private Banks, Private Equity, and Venture Capital. This includes identifying new markets and partnership opportunities aligned with the DIFCs strategic goals.

Mr. Beardall has over 18 years of extensive global experience with financial services and investment firms across the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Middle East and North Africa regions.

Before joining the DIFC Authority, Mr. Beardall held leadership roles in Berkeley Group, HSBC, and Private Wealth Network. Mr. Beardall has also held several advisory board positions.

Mr. Beardall holds an MSc in Computing Science and a BSc (Hons) In Modern Physics from The University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and a Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning from the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Sami Ben Dechiche

Partner, Morgan Lewis

Sami Ben Dechiche advises on all aspects relating to funds across the Gulf Cooperation Council region, including fund manager licensing, fund establishment, marketing, and due diligence. Working in close coordination with clients, Sami advises on appropriate licensing and structuring, handles the drafting of all funds-relevant documentation, and advises on investments by private and institutional investors in regulated and unregulated investment structures. Sami speaks French, English, and conversational Arabic (Tunisian dialect). He is admitted to practice in New York.

Sami draws on his background in the investment funds space in Europe and in the Middle East, where he assisted sovereign wealth funds, investment firms, and banks. Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, he worked at an international law firm’s Dubai office and as a senior advisor in the Luxembourg office of another international law firm.

Kate Habershon

Partner, Morgan Lewis

Kate Habershon advises funds and corporations on corporate taxation. Her focuses include tax and structuring issues related to fund formation, international tax planning, mergers and acquisitions, the making of investments into and by private funds, corporate finance, private equity, executive compensation, internal group restructurings, and financial products.

She is consistently recognised as a leading tax adviser by industry directories including Chambers UK, Chambers Europe, Chambers Global, and The Legal 500, and has served on Law360’s Tax Authority International Advisory Board.

Kate is a solicitor admitted in England and Wales and holds a BA from the University of Oxford.

Barbara Schwartz

Principal, ATOZ Tax Advisers Middle East

Barbara Schwartz is a Principal at ATOZ Tax Advisers Middle East, based in the UAE. She advises asset managers, investment funds and family offices on structuring and international tax matters, including the establishment of investment platforms in the UAE.

She has over 12 years of experience with ATOZ and focuses on alternative investments (private equity, real estate, infrastructure and private debt), with particular expertise in cross-border structuring.

Hari Bhambra

Founder, Stone Advisory Ltd

Hari has over 20 years’ financial sector development and compliance experience and has been part of the development and drafting team of both the FSA (London) and DFSA (DIFC). She drafted parts of both regulatory structures of the DFSA and UK FSA (integration of the unitary regulator) including the development of the supervisory philosophy of both regulators.

She has been involved in financial sector development, including advising Central Banks on the implementation of Islamic Finance into secular jurisdictions, training supervisors on Islamic Finance including acting as a consultant to the US FSVC on financial sector development projects and has consulted for a range of financial institutions including sovereign wealth and government entities.

Benjamin O-Danso

Principal, Optima Partners

Benjamin O-Danso is Principal and Head of Authorisations at Optima Consulting Partners and Business Development Manager, leading the firm’s Authorisations work for wholesale firms, including UK (FCA) and UAE (DFSA/CMA/FSRA) firms.

He advises clients across multiple jurisdictions on regulatory strategy, compliance, and implementation, while overseeing a significant volume of applications each year and managing a specialist team.