ABU DHABI, 23rd June, 2023 (WAM) — Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the international financial centre of UAE’s capital city, is set to launch the second edition of its ground-breaking event, Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) in November 2023
The 2023 edition of ADFW is set to run from 27th to 30th November 2023 under the theme of ‘Investing in the Transition Era’, building on the successes and strong foundation positioned by its first edition. The event will seek to examine the factors affecting capital flows and monetary systems, the resultant services and facilities, and the industrial and social sectors that impact the global financial system, as it will collectively seek to collaborate on maximising the opportunities, and minimising the challenges presented within this transitional era.
ADFW will take place directly between the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and COP28 and anticipates welcoming a highly international and diverse audience of up to 10,000 business leaders from over 100 countries, including senior industry leaders, policymakers, regulators, investors and bankers. The four-day event will be staged across four major conferences, three of them being internal conferences, namely, Asset Abu Dhabi, Fintech Abu Dhabi, R.A.C.E (Regulation, Awareness, Collaboration, Ecosystem) Sustainability Summit and an external conference, namely, Fortune Global Leadership Forum.
ADFW’s grand opening ceremony will be followed by the “Fortune Global Leadership Forum” conference that will gather leaders of the world’s biggest multinational corporations and “Asset Abu Dhabi”, an asset allocator and asset manager-focused investment management conference, both events continue until 28th November 2023.
This year’s Fintech Abu Dhabi conference will take place on 29th November 2023 and will explore the intersection of tech and finance, including an AI Forum, Risk & Security forum, Blockchain Summit, Payments/commerce event and a Regulators summit. The last day of ADFW will host R.A.C.E, a sustainable finance event, which explores the capital gap between the finance needed for Net Zero, and the available finance, and innovative ways to bridge the gap.
Representing the strongest assemblage of leadership from the international financial spectrum the event will gather iconic names such as Ray Dalio, Founder of Bridgewater Associates; Jennifer Johnson, President and CEO of Franklin Templeton; and Jenny Lee, Midas List Venture Capitalist and Managing Partner at GVV Capital. It will also include famous hedge fund leaders, Alan Howard, Co-founder of Brevan Howard Asset Management LLP; Sir Christopher Hohn, The Children’s Investment Fund Founder; and Jay Clayton, Former SEC Chairman. The list continues with eminent names such as H.R.H. Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, Founder and CEO of KBW Ventures; Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd. Chairman Laura Cha; Ruchir Sharma, Rockefeller Chairman; FORTUNE CEO, Alan Murray; top independent analyst Benedict Evans; Chairman of Wamda and Founder of Aramex Fadi Ghandour. Renowned private equity CEOs like Alec Gores, Antoine Flamarion and Paul Desmarais will also join with hundreds of more speakers travelling to Abu Dhabi for ADFW 2023.
Commenting on the launch of ADFW’s 2023 edition, Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi Chairman of ADDED and ADGM, said, “We are honoured to receive the patronage from H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, for ADFW’s 2023 edition. Global conventions like ADFW and COP28, showcase a key time in the UAE as both stand to bolster the UAE's position strategically, by convening leaders of the world to participate in insightful discussions around the impactful transformations that are taking place in the region and beyond. With the economic shifts and the transitional era as the core theme, the UAE’s falcon economy has become one of the fastest growing in the region, while Abu Dhabi has been increasingly recognised as the ‘capital of capital’, as they continue playing a key role in the growth of the global capital markets.”
“Telling this story holds the key to maximising these opportunities and minimising the challenges as we strive through extraordinary digital and technological evolutions and energy transitions. ADFW will act as a platform for strategic responses from the financial industry that are critical to funding the development needed for the future and the ways we live, work and thrive.”, he further added.
The event was a global success last year, exceeding all expectations in its first edition. It witnessed local, regional and global participation of approximately 9000 attendees from 102 countries, 346 speakers who participated across 31 events and 105 sessions, 52 strategic partnerships and over 75 MoUs and announcements. With the event corresponding with several major global events in the MENA region, it is expected to be one of the most significant and widely covered investments and finance trade assemblies on the world event calendar of the financial industry. ADFW 2023 aims to go bigger this year as it continues to attract global markets to the Falcon economy in the ‘Capital of capital’.