DIFC Finance Officer Services for DFSA Authorised Firms
Outsourced and co-sourced Finance Officer support for DFSA Authorised Firms, covering prudential reporting, financial-resource monitoring, regulatory returns and supporting financial controls.
WHAT REGULATED FINANCE REQUIRES
Reliable records behind regulatory reporting.
A current view of financial resources.
Clear reporting to management and the Board.
Financial control becomes a regulatory responsibility.
The Finance Officer links financial-resource requirements to the records, calculations and reporting a DFSA Authorised Firm relies on for regulatory oversight.
APPOINTMENT
Most DFSA Authorised Firms require a Finance Officer appointment, subject to specific regulatory exceptions.
EXTERNAL PROVISION
The function may be performed externally, subject to relevant DFSA authorisation and outsourcing requirements.
FINANCIAL RESOURCES
The scope depends on the firm's permissions, prudential category, structure and applicable capital or liquidity requirements.
REPORTING & OVERSIGHT
The function supports EPRS reporting, underlying financial records, audit coordination and escalation of material issues.
Defined by the firm's DFSA permissions and applicable requirements, not DIFC incorporation alone.
What does the DIFC Finance Officer function cover?
Prudential monitoring, regulatory reporting and financial oversight structured around the firm's DFSA requirements.
Regulatory Financial Resources
Monitor applicable capital resources and financial-resource requirements.
Prudential & Regulatory Reporting
Prepare and review applicable EPRS returns, schedules and declarations.
Capital & Liquidity Monitoring
Track capital headroom and applicable liquidity requirements to identify pressure early.
Financial Reporting & Controls
Maintain accounting records, reconciliations and trial balances supporting regulatory reporting.
Audit Coordination
Coordinate financial statements, regulatory returns and required auditor reporting.
Management, Board & Issue Escalation
Report financial-resource matters and escalate material issues or potential breaches.
The scope starts with the firm's permissions, not a generic checklist.
DFSA financial-resource obligations vary with the firm's permissions, prudential framework, structure and activities. The Finance Officer function should therefore reflect the requirements that apply to the firm.
The DFSA's February 2026 Finance Officer outreach focused on EPRS reporting accuracy, underlying data quality and capital reporting. From 1 July 2026, the Activity Based Capital Requirement applies to certain Category 3A, 3B and 3C firms, subject to specified exceptions, and is calculated monthly.
Regulatory references: DFSA PIB 2.3, PIB 3.8C and PRU, as applicable. Finance Officer Expectations and Obligations Outreach, 12 February 2026.
Financial Services Permissions
The Financial Services authorised under the firm's DFSA permissions.
Prudential Category
The firm's applicable DFSA prudential category and capital framework.
Firm Structure
Whether the firm is a Domestic Firm, a Branch or part of a group.
Business Activities
The regulated activities the firm is authorised to conduct.
Applicable Rules
Applicable financial-resource and reporting Rules, including PIN, PIB, IFR and other Rules where relevant.
Reporting Requirements
Applicable EPRS prudential returns, declarations, annual reporting and audit-related submissions.
The regulatory return is the output.
The control system comes first.
Regulatory reporting is only as dependable as the records, reconciliations and controls behind it. The Finance Officer function connects those foundations to financial-resource monitoring, prudential reporting and senior oversight.
OVERSIGHT PRINCIPLE
Weakness earlier in the finance chain eventually becomes a reporting or oversight issue later in it.
The DFSA's February 2026 Finance Officer outreach highlighted inaccurate or incomplete returns and EPRS data anomalies as reporting focus areas.
Accounting records & reconciliations
Maintain reliable ledgers, trial balances and reconciliations supporting regulatory reporting.
Financial reporting
Maintain dependable financial reporting and IFRS-aligned financial statements.
Capital & liquidity
Monitor applicable regulatory capital and liquidity requirements.
Prudential reporting
Prepare and review required prudential returns and supporting information before submission.
Management & Board oversight
Provide clear financial-resource information and escalate material matters for senior oversight.
Three ways to structure Finance Officer support.
Appointed Finance Officer
External Finance Officer appointment, subject to DFSA authorisation and applicable outsourcing requirements.
- Finance Officer Licensed Function
- EPRS & prudential reporting oversight
- Capital & financial-resource monitoring
Co-sourced Finance Officer Support
Technical and regulatory finance support for firms with an existing Finance Officer.
- Prudential reporting support
- Capital & liquidity monitoring
- Accounting & regulatory-finance review
Authorisation & Readiness Support
Finance-process, reporting and appointment readiness for firms preparing for DFSA authorisation.
- Finance-process & reporting architecture
- Prudential reporting readiness
- Finance Officer appointment preparation
Outsourcing the Finance Officer function does not transfer the Authorised Firm's regulatory responsibility to the service provider.
CURRENT DFSA FINANCE OFFICER CAPABILITY
Our regulated finance team includes professionals authorised by the DFSA to perform the Finance Officer Licensed Function for DIFC Authorised Firms.
ACTIVE REGULATED ENGAGEMENTS
Haseeb & Partners supports DFSA Authorised Firms across Finance Officer and regulated-finance requirements.
15+ YEARS OF COMBINED DFSA REPORTING EXPERIENCE
Our team brings 15+ years of combined experience across DFSA regulatory reporting, financial controls and Finance Officer responsibilities.
Finance Officer support built around the firm.
Not a template. The engagement is shaped around the firm's permissions, prudential requirements and existing finance capability.
TYPICAL FIRM PROFILES
Fund, asset & wealth managers
Investment & advisory firms
Brokerage & capital-markets firms
DFSA-regulated fintech firms & regulated family-office structures
Newly authorised firms & international groups establishing in DIFC
OUR APPROACH
Regulatory reporting anchored to the finance function
Accounting records, reconciliations and financial controls support the regulatory information the firm relies on.
Built around the firm's actual requirements
Permissions, prudential requirements, operating structure and existing finance capability determine the scope.
Flexible enough to work with the firm's existing structure
Support can be provided through an appointed Finance Officer, co-sourced support or authorisation-readiness engagement.
DIFC Finance Officer Questions
A DIFC Finance Officer is an Authorised Individual who performs the Finance Officer Licensed Function for a DFSA Authorised Firm. The role is responsible for the firm's compliance with applicable requirements relating to financial resources under PIN, PIB, IFR and other relevant Rules, connecting regulatory calculations and reporting to the financial records and controls supporting them.
No. Most DFSA Authorised Firms must maintain a Finance Officer appointment, but GEN 7.5.1 provides specific exceptions. A Credit Rating Agency does not need to make the Finance Officer appointment, and a firm whose only Financial Service is Managing a Venture Capital Fund is also exempt from that appointment requirement.
An external individual may perform the Finance Officer function, subject to the individual's relevant DFSA authorisation for the firm and the firm's applicable outsourcing arrangements. Where an outsourcing arrangement is material, the Authorised Firm must inform the DFSA and maintain appropriate outsourcing governance, contractual and risk-management arrangements.
The Authorised Firm remains responsible for complying with its regulatory obligations. It must appropriately oversee the outsourced function, supervise the service provider and deal effectively with failures that could lead to a breach. Outsourcing the Finance Officer function therefore does not transfer the firm's regulatory accountability to the external provider.
An outsourced DIFC Finance Officer supports the firm's applicable financial-resource monitoring, prudential calculations, EPRS reporting and underlying financial controls. The role may also include capital and liquidity monitoring where applicable, audit coordination, review of supporting regulatory information and financial-resource reporting to senior management and the Board.
A DIFC Finance Officer performs a regulatory Licensed Function focused on the firm's applicable financial-resource requirements, prudential reporting and regulatory financial oversight. A CFO typically has a broader commercial role covering strategy, planning, performance, funding and management decisions. The roles can interact, but they are not interchangeable.
Potentially, yes. Where an individual already performs a Licensed Function for another Authorised Firm, the appointing firm must be reasonably satisfied that the person can perform the proposed role effectively given their existing duties and that there are no unmanaged actual or potential conflicts of interest. The individual must also hold the relevant authorisation for the firm.
Pricing depends on the firm's Financial Services Permissions, prudential category, reporting obligations, operating complexity, condition of the underlying accounting records and internal finance capability. It also depends on whether the requirement is for an appointed Finance Officer, co-sourced technical support or authorisation-readiness support.
Discuss the Finance Officer support your firm needs.
Whether you need an appointed Finance Officer, co-sourced support or authorisation readiness, we can scope the engagement around your DFSA permissions, reporting obligations and current finance structure.
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