The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) opened in 2004 and is a 110 acre onshore financial centre aiming to compete with the likes of New York and London. It is one of Dubai’s major free zones.

The master plan is laid out as a series of districts with their own distinctive characteristics. The first district, running from north to south, is called the Gate District and has as its centre piece the new Gate Building — a formal arch framing the view of the World Trade Centre, Dubai.