Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) 2025, held under the patronage of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Executive Council, has announced its initial group of international speakers.
The event, hosted by ADGM, will take place in the UAE capital from December 8 to 11 2025 across five flagship events.
More than 300 leaders representing firms with assets exceeding US$60 trillion are confirmed to participate, surpassing the 2024 edition, which gathered firms with US$42.5 trillion in assets under management.
This year’s programme will address how new technologies are shaping the financial sector.
Confirmed speakers include returning participants Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of ADDED and ADGM; Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, Chairman of KBW Ventures; Ray Dalio, Founder & CIO Mentor of Bridgewater; and Clare Woodman, CEO International at Morgan Stanley.
New speakers include Harvey Schwartz, CEO of Carlyle; Marc Randolph, Co-Founder of Netflix; Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara, CEO of Temasek; Jenny Johnson, President & CEO of Franklin Templeton; Jacques Chappuis, CEO of PGIM; Mohamed Al Mehairi, CEO of Emirates Investment Authority; Dmitry Balyasny, Managing Partner and CIO of Balyasny Asset Management; and Stephen Dainton, President of Barclays.
Commenting on the announcement, Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of ADGM, said:
“100 days to ADFW and an outstanding lineup of world-class speakers representing trillions of dollars are already confirmed. This highlights how the event has become a dynamic platform where capital connects and where key issues impacting the future of finance will be discussed at the highest level. ADFW’s status as one of the world’s top financial gatherings underscores Abu Dhabi’s prominence as a hub for finance, innovation, and opportunities. We look forward to welcoming the global financial community for another exceptional week in the Capital of Capital.”
The 2025 theme, Engineering the Capital Network, will examine the role of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, alongside changing dynamics in global capital flows.
Abu Dhabi’s role will be considered within this context, reflecting its transition from being primarily a capital exporter to a hub for two-way flows of investment.
The event will open on December 8 2025, followed by a gala dinner.
Across four days, delegates will attend recurring events including the Abu Dhabi Economic Forum (ADEF), Asset Abu Dhabi, Fintech Abu Dhabi, RESOLVE, and the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum (ADSFF).
Additional programmes include the Global Financial Regulators Summit, Greenwich Economic Forum, UBS Investor Forum, International Financial Office Congress, Blockchain Abu Dhabi, Risk 4.0 Forum, DLT Foundation Forum and the Islamic Finance Summit.
New forums in 2025 will include the New Energy Finance summit in association with CNBC International, Google’s Finance & Technology Summit (GtFT), the Private Credit Summit in partnership with the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA), the Infrastructure Summit with Mubadala, the Treasury & CFO Summit, the GCFC Roundtable, and a Private Wealth Roundtable.
Further announcements on speakers, partners and agenda details will follow.
Featured image credit: ADFW
