Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2025: A Successful Showcase for the Next Growth Decade

Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2025: A Landmark Event for Global Finance

The Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) 2025, held under the esteemed patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chair of the Abu Dhabi Executive Committee, concluded successfully, showcasing the emirate's potential for the next decade of growth. This year’s edition attracted over 35,000 attendees, with more than 30% being international participants from 175 nations, making it a remarkable week filled with dynamic discussions, significant announcements, and visionary collaborations.

As the leading financial and investment event in Abu Dhabi, ADGW is organized by the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) with ADQ as the principal partner, featuring an impressive agenda with 68 events and 394 thematic sessions. The influential gathering hosted 819 prominent speakers and over 69 global and regional partners, highlighting its status as one of the world’s most impactful financial events. Remarkably, for the first time in its history, the total assets represented during the week exceeded $62 trillion, accounting for roughly 53% of global GDP.

During this momentous week, key players from international capital markets, investors, regulators, and innovators came together to shape the future of global finance. His Excellency Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of ADGM, noted, “ADFW is recognized as one of the most influential financial events globally. This record-breaking edition has demonstrated Abu Dhabi's capability to gather significant global capital.” With representatives managing assets totaling more than $62 trillion, the event established Abu Dhabi not just as a host but as an active participant in shaping future financial architecture meant for the next decade of growth.

Transformative Dialogues and Announcements

The 2025 edition served as a catalyst for strategic advancements in the financial world. Notably, 11 financial institutions managing over $9 trillion in assets under management (AUM) were welcomed into Abu Dhabi’s flourishing financial ecosystem ahead of and during this year’s ADFW. Major global giants, including UBS Group, KKR, and Julius Baer, announced their plans to establish their presence in the ADGM jurisdiction. Additionally, during the four-day event, firms like Cantor Fitzgerald and Arab Bank (Switzerland) revealed their new offices at Abu Dhabi’s International Financial Centre.

In a remarkable intersection of finance and philanthropy, high-level participants from the Mohamed bin Zayed (MBZ) Foundation for Humanity, including Bill Gates, pledged $1.9 billion towards eradicating polio. In another critical regulatory milestone, Binance became the first cryptocurrency exchange globally to secure a comprehensive license under ADGM's regulatory framework, setting a global benchmark for digital asset oversight.

Moreover, ERM, the world’s largest sustainability consultancy firm, announced the opening of its new office in ADGM, highlighting the financial center’s growing significance in promoting global sustainability initiatives.

Abu Dhabi’s Prominence in the MENA Region

According to the newly introduced Financial Centres Competitiveness Index (FCCI) unveiled during the ADFW, Abu Dhabi has been ranked as the leading financial center in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and 12th globally, further enhancing its reputation as one of the world’s influential financial hubs, driven in part by the ongoing advancements in ADGM.

The ADFW 2025 centered around the theme “Engineering the Capital Network,” demonstrating Abu Dhabi’s continuous rise as a global financial nucleus and the ADGM’s role in shaping the future financing landscape through innovative connections between capital, technology, and policy.

During the course of the event, an astounding 82 letters of intent and partnerships were signed, promoting cross-border alliances and innovation processes for the upcoming year. Prominent firms leveraging ADFW’s strategic platform to announce their collaborations included BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, and Warner Bros. Discovery, among others.

The next edition of the Abu Dhabi Finance Week is scheduled for December 7-10, 2026, building on the momentum of ADFW 2025 and reinforcing its status as a premier global financial gathering in the region.

For more information, visit www.adfw.com.