From the Capital of Capital, ADFW Charts the Next Frontier in Asset Management
ABU DHABI, UAE, Dec. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW), the flagship event hosted by ADGM, continued for a second day with Asset Abu Dhabi, bringing together some of the world's biggest capital allocators and asset managers to explore emerging investment opportunities and shape the future of asset allocation in an evolving financial landscape.
Opening the event, Emmanuel Givanakis, CEO of ADGM's Financial Services Regulatory Authority, highlighted how Abu Dhabi continues to redefine the global asset management sector by combining robust regulation, strategic innovation, and its unique position as a nexus for global capital. His remarks set the tone for the day's discussions around how financial centres can lead the transition towards sustainable and opportunity-driven growth.
Givanakis said: "Asset Abu Dhabi reflects the growing convergence of global capital and innovation, convening the world's most sophisticated asset managers at a time of profound change in finance. It stands as a symbol of Abu Dhabi's emergence as a trusted hub in the reengineering of global capital networks and the future of asset management."
Through various sessions, the event explored the future of asset management, hedge funds, and private markets, as well as the evolving dynamics of liquidity, leverage, and institutional allocation, and the growing interplay between innovation, technology, and sustainability in driving economic transformation.
Some of the world's foremost investment minds discussed the forces shaping tomorrow's financial landscape. Todd Boehly, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Eldridge Industries; Robert Smith, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners; and Sir Christopher Hohn, Founder and Managing Director of TCI Fund Management Limited and DAMAC founder Hussain Sajwani discussed how shifting macroeconomic cycles, emerging technologies, and geopolitical realignments will define the next phase of opportunity and risk.
With a focus on the Evolving Art of Hedge Funds, Aron Landy, CEO of Brevan Howard; Shiv Srinivasan, CIO of Hedge Funds at the Abu Dhabi Investment Council; and Robyn Grew, CEO of Man Group, examined how data, AI, and precision analytics are transforming risk management and redefining performance in a world where volatility represents opportunities.
Meanwhile, a session covering The Physics of the Great Wealth Transfer brought together Stefan Bollinger, CEO of Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd., and Chi Man Kwan, Group CEO and Co-Founder of Raffles Family Office, discussing how an estimated $84 trillion in intergenerational wealth will reshape economies and values worldwide.
Inaugural FCCI Report
In a separate session, Bruno Lanvin, President of the Descartes Institute for the Future and Robert Salomon, Dean of Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi, unveiled the inaugural NYU Global Financial Centre Competitiveness Index (FCCI), which evaluates international financial centres worldwide.
The index ranks New York, London, and Singapore as the top three, and highlights the GCC's growing influence, placing Abu Dhabi No. 1 in MENA and 12th globally, ahead of Dubai, Riyadh and Doha. Lanvin highlighted that Abu Dhabi's position is the result of sustained institutional strength, regulatory innovation and deliberate economic strategy. The Index ranked Abu Dhabi 1st globally for Regulatory Innovation, 5th for Institutional Environment and 3rd for Business Support Incentives, noting that the emirate is demonstrating exceptional progress and an increasing role in global finance.
International Family Office Congress
Bringing together global family office leaders, this event discussed wealth preservation and the future of private capital while also exploring the shifting dynamics of global investment, the great wealth transfer, impact investing, and Abu Dhabi's emergence as a leading hub for family offices and generational wealth creation.
The event featured Ray Dalio, Founder of Bridgewater Associates; Bhanu Baweja, Chief Strategist at UBS Investment Bank; Daniel Pinto, Co-Founder and CEO of Stanhope Capital Group; Arjun Raghavan, CEO of Partners Capital; Henry Lawson-Johnston, Managing Partner at Guggenheim Brothers Media; Benjamin Cavalli, Head of Strategic Clients at UBS Global Wealth Management; Adrian Cheng, CEO of New World Development and Founder of K11 Group; and Jim Mellon, Executive Chairman of Agronomics.
Newcomers and Major Collaborations
The second day of ADFW also saw announcements from a number of firms opening offices in ADGM. Circle Internet Group, Inc., one of the world's leading internet financial platform companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange, strengthened its strategic presence in the region by securing a Financial Services Permission (FSP) license from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM to operate as a Money Services Provider. BBVA has received an In-Principle Approval (IPA) from the FSRA, which will help them expand their range of corporate and investment banking service activities and strengthen their position as a strategic partner for corporate and institutional clients in the region.
ADFW continues for two more days with key events taking place under the umbrella of Fintech Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum (ADSFF).
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