Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) 2024, under the patronage of HH Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, will be held from December 9 to 12. Organised by Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) with ADQ as its headline partner, the event will bring together global financial leaders, investors, and policymakers under the theme, “Welcome to the Capital of Capital.”
Focus on key financial sectors
The event will feature over 20,000 attendees, 600 speakers and more than 350 sessions addressing economic, technological and sustainable finance topics. Forums like the Abu Dhabi Economic Forum, Fintech Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum (ADSFF) will explore economic resilience, technological innovation and climate finance.
Key additions to this year’s program include the UBS Investment Forum, the China-UAE Investment Summit, and the Abu Dhabi Capital Markets Showcase. These events reflect Abu Dhabi’s aim to cement its position as a global financial hub and driver of economic diversification.
Day 1: Economic and capital market focus
The opening day will feature the Abu Dhabi Economic Forum with senior government officials and global business leaders, including CEOs of Blackrock, UBS and Morgan Stanley. Notable sessions include:
- Abu Dhabi in the global economy featuring Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Associates and Sergio Ermotti, CEO of UBS.
- A new era of capital flows in a polycentric world by Abu Dhabi’s Sovereign Wealth Funds.
The inaugural Abu Dhabi Capital Markets Forum will showcase investment opportunities from ADNOC Drilling, Aldar, and Borouge, highlighting the emirate’s focus on capital market development.
Day 2: Asset management and dispute resolution
Day two will feature Asset Abu Dhabi, which will focus on hedge funds, AI in investment strategies, and asset allocation in evolving global markets. Speakers include Ray Dalio, Robert Smith of Vista Equity Partners and Bill Huffman of Nuveen.
The RESOLVE forum, in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, will address global dispute resolution challenges. Sessions include:
- Navigating the AI legal frontier
- Resilience in action: the UAE’s readiness for future disputes
Day 3: Fintech and regulatory innovation
Fintech Abu Dhabi, the region’s largest fintech festival, will examine blockchain, AI and digital payments with speakers like Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle and Richard Teng, CEO of Binance. Key topics include:
- Investing in AI: what does the next world look like?
- Has the unicorn machine stopped working?
The Global Financial Regulators Summit will convene senior policymakers to discuss AI’s regulatory implications and cross-border financial oversight.
Day 4: Sustainability in finance
ADSFF will cap the event with discussions on sustainable finance, net-zero commitments, and carbon market evolution. Speakers include Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan and Jonathan Dean of AXA IM.
Notable sessions include:
- A keynote by HE Carme Artigas Brugal, Co-Chair of the UN AI Advisory Body, on global AI regulations
- A fireside chat on the launch of the world’s largest climate fund with HE Majid Al Suwaidi, CEO of Alterra
ADFW 2024 aims to consolidate Abu Dhabi’s position as a global financial hub by fostering collaboration across sectors and addressing critical challenges and opportunities in finance, technology, and sustainability.
