Today's Edition
A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)
Cantor, a premier global investment bank and part of the Cantor Fitzgerald group of companies, has announced it is expanding its presence in the Middle East with the establishment of a new office in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), according to a media statement.
The firm has secured in-principle approval for a Financial Services Permission to carry on regulated activities in or from ADGM. The expansion forms part of Cantor’s broader strategy to deepen its footprint in key international markets and enhance its ability to serve clients across the region.
Cantor Fitzgerald, founded in 1945 as an investment bank and brokerage business, has since grown into a full-service global financial-services firm offering a wide range of capabilities, including investment banking, fixed-income and equity trading, prime brokerage, research and asset management. Over the decades, the firm has diversified significantly across financial markets.
Ali Khalpey, Head of Middle East, Investment Banking & Capital Markets at Cantor, who joined the firm earlier this year, will lead the expansion across the Gulf region with a focus on capital markets and advisory services.
“The Middle East is a key growth market for Cantor as we continue to expand our global investment banking and capital markets platform,” said Sage Kelly, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Global Head of Investment Banking at Cantor.
“As we expand into Abu Dhabi, we are bringing the same long-term, talent-driven approach that has guided Cantor for decades. With Ali’s leadership, we are well positioned to capture opportunities across the Gulf and deliver the full scope of Cantor’s capabilities to clients.”
Khalpey noted the strength of regional markets, saying: “The Gulf is one of the most active markets globally for IPOs and capital formation, and we hope to contribute meaningfully to the continued growth and deepening of regional capital markets. ADGM has become a major financial hub connecting global and regional capital, and Cantor’s presence here will enable us to better serve clients pursuing diversification and access to international markets.”
Arvind Ramamurthy, Chief Market Development Officer at ADGM, welcomed the firm’s entry into the Abu Dhabi financial centre. “The firm’s decision to establish an office in Abu Dhabi reflects the growing importance of our financial centre as a base for global institutions serving clients across the Middle East. Cantor’s presence will contribute towards our growing ecosystem and reinforces Abu Dhabi’s continued development as a hub for capital markets activity.”
Cantor’s new office is subject to final regulatory approval, which is expected in the first quarter of 2026, the statement added.
Headquartered in New York, the firm has more than 60 office locations worldwide. In 2001, the company suffered the loss of 658 of its 960 New York-based colleagues in the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. The firm rebuilt and diversified due to the determination and drive of its employees, standing stronger today than ever before, a post on its website said.
Howard Lutnick, now the US Secretary of Commerce, led Cantor as Chairman and CEO until assuming his current role.
