Abu dhabi: Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Executive Council, Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) 2025, the region’s largest financial gathering, has announced its first wave of top global speakers who will headline this year’s event. Hosted by ADGM, the international financial centre of Abu Dhabi, ADFW 2025 will convene leading thinkers, investors, and policy leaders in the UAE capital from 8th December to 11th December 2025 for five flagship events.
According to Emirates News Agency, more than 300 international leaders of firms representing over US$60 trillion in assets are already confirmed to speak at this year’s edition, which will explore how new technologies are impacting the future of finance. This number is expected to increase as more speakers are confirmed, already surpassing ADFW 2024, which gathered global firms worth US$42.5 trillion in assets under management.
The strong lineup of speakers reaffirms ADFW’s status as one of the world’s top financial gatherings and a magnet for international financial leaders. Returning speakers include Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of ADDED and ADGM, H.R.H. Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, Chairman of KBW Ventures, Ray Dalio, Founder and CIO Mentor of Bridgewater, and Clare Woodman, CEO International at Morgan Stanley. They will be joined by new speakers such as Harvey Schwartz, CEO of Carlyle; Marc Randolph, Co-Founder of Netflix; Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara, CEO of Temasek; Jenny Johnson, President and CEO of Franklin Templeton; Jacques Chappuis, CEO of PGIM; and Mohamed Al Mehairi, CEO of Emirates Investment Authority, among others.
Commenting on ADFW’s 2025 edition, Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi stated, ‘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 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.’
This year’s strategic theme, ‘Engineering the Capital Network’, focuses on how emerging technologies, especially AI and quantum computing, are reshaping modern finance. It also captures the shifting dynamics of global capital flows, with Abu Dhabi at the centre of this new financial gravity. Once primarily a capital exporter, the emirate is now a dynamic hub for two-way capital flows, enabled by leading institutions and ADGM’s international financial centre.
The opening ceremony for ADFW will take place on 8th December 2025, with a Gala Dinner rounding off the first day of the conference. During the four days of the event, delegates can participate in key returning events such as the Abu Dhabi Economic Forum (ADEF), Asset Abu Dhabi, Fintech Abu Dhabi, RESOLVE, and Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum (ADSFF). Attendees will also have the opportunity to join sessions at other events, including the Global Financial Regulators Summit, the Greenwich Economic Forum, and the Islamic Finance Summit.
ADFW will announce additional speakers, event partners, and agenda highlights in the coming weeks.