In its relatively short lifespan, Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) has already positioned itself as a credible thought leadership platform that allows stakeholders to debate, discuss and inform people about the likely causes and outcomes of key market events and developments.
The event is hosted by ADGM, the international finance center of the capital of Abu Dhabi. Despite only being in its third year, ADFW has quickly become one of the most important regional platforms bringing together some of the biggest names in banking, finance, investments, and technology.
Last year, over 3,300 top executives, industry experts, policymakers, regulators, investors, and bankers from leading global financial firms participated in discussions around the theme, ‘Investing in the Transition Era.’
Given its location and expanding community, ADGM has a unique perspective on the major issues affecting global markets and incredible access to intelligent firms and their leaders.
“The incredible response that we’ve had in just the third edition of the event shows there is true demand to learn from the financial world’s brightest minds. Last year, we gathered the leaders of firms managing over $30 trillion of assets, which demonstrates that the biggest names in finance are keen to join us. The ADFW journey continues this year as we navigate a new world order, rising to the challenge of anticipated greater volatility in international markets, alongside the Falcon Economy’s continued ascent to new heights,” says Chris Hughes, the editor-in-chief of ADFW.
‘Welcome to the Capital of Capital’
This year, ADFW will feature over 50 events at ADGM between December 9 and 12. It’s expected to draw 18,000 participants, focusing on themes such as Abu Dhabi’s Falcon Economy, asset management, tech, and sustainability.
The 2024 edition will center around the theme of ‘Welcome to the Capital of Capital’ and underscore the UAE capital’s strength and value proposition, highlighting its status as the region’s prominent financial hub and destination of choice for top international financial institutions.
“When our chairman first introduced the concept of Abu Dhabi as a Capital of Capital in a speech at the first ADFW, many people attributed it to monetary capital. The 2024 ADFW will show that Abu Dhabi is much more than that,” Hughes said.
“We are a capital of technological capital, being one of the world’s foremost locations for AI development. We are a capital of cultural capital, with world-class new museums like Guggenheim being built and we are a capital of human capital, with some of the world’s brightest and most high-achieving people moving here daily,” he further remarked.
What to expect at ADFW 2024
The 2024 edition of ADFW will gather more than 300 speakers from across the globe, including a distinctive group of senior global leaders from banking institutions such as UBS, State Street, BNY, Santander, Standard Chartered, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Emirates NBD, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Starling Bank and OakNorth Bank. It will also feature the CEOs, founders and chairs of global investment powerhouses such as Bridgewater, Nuveen, Vista Equity Partners, General Atlantic, PGIM, GQG, Hillhouse, Investcorp, Prosus, Brookfield, AXA IM, Alterra, Brevan Howard, Two Sigma and Marshall Wace.
Five global leadership forums – the Abu Dhabi Economic Forum, Asset Abu Dhabi, RESOLVE 2024, Fintech Abu Dhabi, and the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum (ADSFF) will return to the four-day event.
After the opening ceremony on December 9, the Abu Dhabi Economic Forum will dive into the strategies, policies, and investments shaping the future of Abu Dhabi’s Falcon Economy. The following day, Asset Abu Dhabi will explore key topics such as the evolution of public and private markets, investing in the next decade of technology, future city investments, and insights from the world’s top hedge funds.
That same day, the latest edition of RESOLVE, themed ‘Resilience’, will return to tackle challenges faced by dispute resolution professionals. On December 11, Fintech Abu Dhabi will mark its eighth edition. It will focus on the future of finance, including payments, digital assets, digital security, and credit.
The final day of ADFW on December 12 will feature the 7th edition of ADSFF. After last year’s special edition at COP28, ADSFF will officially join ADFW 2024. Sessions on regulation, awareness, collaboration, and ecosystem development will highlight how Abu Dhabi and ADGM lead the way in sustainable green finance.
Read: How smart companies can leverage regulation to stay ahead of the curve
ADFW 2024’s new side events
As well as the main forums, ADFW 2024 will feature new events, such as the UBS Investment Forum, the China UAE Investment Summit with HSBC, the Islamic Finance Summit, the Spear’s Private Wealth Summit, and the Abu Dhabi Capital Markets Showcase.
Notable side events will include the ADGM Gala Dinner, Abu Dhabi Capital Markets Forum, International Family Office Congress, AI Forum, Women in Finance, ADGM Academy (ADGMA) Showcase, and Youth in Finance.
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