I always welcome the highly informative articles focused on established trends such as private credit, digital assets, ESG and technology, but this edition is notable for its contributions highlighting some of the emerging trends readers may not be as aware of. 

Firstly, the growth of Dubai as a financial centre both for our industry and wider markets has commanded many column inches already this year and I read with interest this journal’s contribution to the discussion. The piece articulates how the jewel of the United Arab Emirates’ economic crown aims to rival established hubs of London, New York, Hong Kong, and Singapore.    

Secondly, I am pleased to see greater attention given to the increasing demand for exposure to alternative investments by retail investors. I highlighted this trend in a blog in December 2022 outlining seven predictions for 2023. Intriguingly, the article in this journal includes data indicating that retail investors in APAC are more bullish on alternative investments than their global peers, although the figures are encouraging across the board. 

AIMA will be closely monitoring both of these trends. As I have suggested previously, the AIMA Journal will always keep readers informed about issues at the forefront of the industry’s development. This is true for new trends and developments in established topics like ESG. For example, articles in this edition allude to the increasingly sophisticated products and data in the sustainability space with a focus on biodiversity among the new hot topics. 

As ever, there is too much high-quality content to mention here, so readers are encouraged to dive into all this edition has to offer. Digital assets, jurisdictional updates, and regulatory deep-dives – including a timely reference to ELITIF 2.0 – are among the pieces that should not be missed.

Readers are also encouraged to visit AIMA’s Newswire section to learn more about the valuable work of my colleagues in all the areas mentioned above. 

My thanks, as always, go to all contributors to this edition. Readers looking to join the discussion can find details on how to submit articles here.