Historic Investment Insights from Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2025

The Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) 2025, held under the auspices of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, wrapped up a pivotal week filled with strategic dialogues, groundbreaking announcements, and global partnerships, solidifying Abu Dhabi’s status as a premier international financial center.

Hosted by Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) in collaboration with ADQ as its Headline Partner, ADFW 2025 welcomed over 35,000 participants from 175 nations, with more than 30% hailing from abroad. The event showcased 68 prominent gatherings, 394 focused sessions, and featured 819 esteemed speakers, supported by 69 international and regional partners, including Hanwha, recognized as a Strategic Partner.

Milestones in Global Finance

This year, total assets represented during ADFW surpassed US$62 trillion, representing 53% of the world’s GDP. Eleven major global banks managing assets exceeding US$9 trillion confirmed their presence in Abu Dhabi, while companies such as Cantor Fitzgerald, BBVA, Arab Bank Switzerland, Plenary ME Infrastructure Partners, iCapital, and Eurasian Development Bank established offices at ADGM.

Key Strategic Developments

ADFW 2025 unveiled significant financial and charitable ventures:

• The Mohamed bin Zayed (MBZ) Foundation for Humanity announced a US$1.9 billion pledge to eradicate polio, with Bill Gates in attendance.

• Binance was licensed as the first crypto exchange under ADGM’s regulatory framework, establishing a new standard for digital asset management.

• ERM, a key sustainability consultancy, launched its new office at ADGM to foster sustainable finance initiatives.

Growth through Innovation and Economic Expansion

• The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) and Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) introduced the FinTech, Insurance, Digital and Alternative Assets (FIDA) cluster to push for innovation and sector diversification.

• Mubadala and Aldar announced a substantial AED60 billion (US$16.34 billion) joint venture to extend the ADGM’s Al Maryah Island district by 1.5 million square meters.

• Halo Investing teamed up with ADGM to launch Majarra, a capital markets ecosystem designed to facilitate protective UAE-originated investments to new global markets.

Recognition and Collaborations

Revealed by the Stern School of Business at NYU Abu Dhabi, the inaugural Financial Centres Competitiveness Index (FCCI) ranked Abu Dhabi as the leading financial hub in MENA and 12th worldwide. A total of 82 MoUs and partnerships were forged, including significant collaborations with Blackrock, Franklin Templeton, Mubadala, Mastercard, Hanwha, Swiss Re, and Crypto.com.

Grounded in the theme “Engineering the Capital Network,” ADFW 2025 illustrated Abu Dhabi’s persistent rise as a global financial epicenter. Platforms like ADFW aim to enhance Abu Dhabi’s role in bridging capital, technology, and policy, with the next event scheduled for December 7-10, 2026.