ADFW 2025 to welcome leaders managing capital equal to more than half of global GDP

Hosted by ADGM, the international financial centre of Abu Dhabi, the Capital of the UAE and held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Executive Council, ADFW 2025 will run from 8–11 December in the UAE capital. ADQ returns as Headline Partner for the event.

This year’s programme includes more than 60 events, over 300 thematic sessions and approximately 750 speakers. Senior executives from Allianz, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, UBS, Netflix, the World Bank, PGIM, BlackRock, Blackstone, HSBC and Standard Chartered are among the confirmed participants. The week will also see several high-profile announcements, including the launch of the inaugural NYU Stern Global Financial Competitiveness Index.

H.E. Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of ADGM, highlighted the significance of this year’s gathering. “ADFW 2025 will mark the next chapter in Abu Dhabi’s evolution as a global financial hub, bringing together policy powers, investment titans, and tech pioneers from across the world – all converging in the heart of the ‘Capital of Capital’. This edition will transcend geographical boundaries, connecting the global capital network through innovation, regulatory collaboration and cross-sector partnerships. As the world focuses on the future of finance, Abu Dhabi, through platforms like ADFW, is truly engineering it.”

H.E. Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, UAE Minister of Investment and Managing Director & Group Chief Executive Officer at ADQ, added: “As a strategic partner of Abu Dhabi Finance Week, ADQ is driving a platform that reinforces Abu Dhabi’s position as a global hub for investment and capital flows. This year’s theme underscores the vital role of capital in accelerating infrastructure that powers economies, connects markets, and enables sustainable growth. Through strategic collaboration across sectors and geographies, ADQ continues to deploy long-term investment to build resilient infrastructure that strengthens economic competitiveness and advances societal progress in line with its mandate.”

This year’s theme – Engineering the Capital Network – will address the future of global finance, including AI-driven innovation, shifting capital flows, regulatory evolution, institutional partnerships, and the advancement of inclusive and sustainable financial systems.

Government and global leaders to take the stage

Several UAE ministers will speak at the event, including H.E. Suhail Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure; H.E. Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Minister of Justice; H.E. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister for Foreign Trade; and H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports. Senior Abu Dhabi economic officials, including H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of DMT & Etihad, and H.E. Mohamed Hamad Al Mehairi, CEO of the Emirates Investment Authority, will also participate.

Confirmed global speakers include Marc Randolph, Co-founder & Former CEO of Netflix; Oliver Bate, CEO of Allianz; Sergio Ermotti, CEO of UBS; Steve Schwarzman, Chairman & CEO of Blackstone; Bill Winters, CEO of Standard Chartered; Stephen Dainton, President, Barclays; Stefan Bollinger, CEO of Julius Baer; Clare Woodman, CEO – International at Morgan Stanley; and Andres Berger, CEO of Swiss Re. Also expected are Roberto Azevedo, former Director General of the WTO; Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation; Shaikha Al Nowais, Secretary General Elect of UN Tourism; and Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East at the IMF.

From the asset management and sovereign investment sphere, speakers include Dilhan Palay Sandrasegara, CEO of Temasek; Ray Dalio, Founder of Bridgewater Associates; Alan Howard, Co-Founder of Brevan Howard; Jenny Johnson, CEO of Franklin Templeton; David Rubenstein, Chairman of Carlyle; Dmitry Balyasny, Founder of Balyasny; Robyn Grew, CEO of MAN Group; Philipp Hilderbrand, Vice-Chairman of BlackRock; Michael Rees, Co-Founder & Co-President of Blue Owl; Sandro Pierri, CEO of BNP Paribas AM; and Sadek Wahba, Chairman of iSquared.

Leaders from banking and fintech will also be present, including Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase; Charles Hoskinson, Co-founder of Cardano & IOHK; Joseph Lubin, Co-founder of Ethereum; Anatoly Yakovenko, Co-founder of Solana; Jeremy Allaire, Chairman & CEO of Circle; Star Xu, Founder of OKX; and Richard Teng, CEO of Binance.

Highlighting finance, technology and sustainability

ADFW 2025 will open on 8 December with a ceremony attended by senior Abu Dhabi leadership and global investors. Alongside established flagship events such as the Abu Dhabi Economic Forum, Asset Abu Dhabi, RESOLVE, Fintech Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum, the agenda introduces several new gatherings.
Day One will feature the newly launched Global Markets Summit, addressing macroeconomic factors shaping capital networks, and the CNBC New Energy Finance Forum, focusing on the global shift to next-generation energy systems.

Day Two will host Asset Abu Dhabi, the Global Financial Regulators Summit, the AIMA Private Credit Summit, the Infrastructure Summit and the International Family Office Congress. The day will also include closed-door discussions, including an IMF roundtable on macroeconomic volatility, regulatory shifts and geopolitical risk.

Day Three will showcase RESOLVE and Fintech Abu Dhabi, together with AI Abu Dhabi, which will explore the convergence of artificial intelligence and financial services. Blockchain Abu Dhabi will examine blockchain, crypto, decentralised finance and disruptions to traditional financial systems, while the Web3 Leaders Roundtable will convene policymakers and innovators.

The final day will spotlight sustainability and ESG at the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum. The Second EU-GCC Finance & Investment for Green Transition Forum will bring together policymakers and financial institutions to coordinate sustainable finance strategies. The Women in Finance event will highlight leading female executives from the global financial sector, and New York University Stern School of Business Abu Dhabi will host its inaugural graduation ceremony.

ADFW 2025 is set to reaffirm Abu Dhabi’s role as a global nexus for investment, innovation and capital connectivity – a platform where the future of finance is actively being shaped.