Abu Dhabi Financial Week 2025: Trailblazing the Future of Global Finance

Abu Dhabi is becoming a global pioneer in financial transformation, according to participants at Abu Dhabi Financial Week 2025. The emirate has built a comprehensive system that sets clear priorities and takes groundbreaking steps to create innovative solutions on a global scale. Financial institutions there are already leading worldwide changes in digital trust and sovereign technology development.

Mohamed Abdel Bari, CEO of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Group, says Abu Dhabi can lead global financial transformations by creating a complete framework that defines priorities and ambitions. The bank has set a strategic vision for 2035 built on three pillars: investing in AI across all banking operations over the next ten years, creating advanced solutions for customer needs, and adopting best practices in corporate governance and transparency.

"Hosting a global event like Abu Dhabi Financial Week 2025 is an important step toward this goal," Abdel Bari explains. "It allows financial sector professionals to meet with industry leaders worldwide, learn about the latest developments, and share expertise to create AI-based solutions."

Mohamed Rajab from ADI, an Abu Dhabi-based blockchain technology company, believes the emirate holds global leadership in digital trust and sovereign technology development. He points to Abu Dhabi Global Market's advanced regulatory framework, strong governance, access to global talent, and economic stability in a location that connects East and West.

ADI is preparing to launch ADI Chain on the mainnet - what they claim will be the world's fastest blockchain infrastructure powered by graphics processing technology. The company is also launching a dirham-backed stablecoin (DDSC) developed by IHC Group and First Abu Dhabi Bank, which will run on the ADI Chain network.

The company plans to establish a "Future Technologies 4.0" academy in partnership with Abu Dhabi Global Market and several universities. This will train over 10,000 specialists in Web3 technologies, strengthening Abu Dhabi's digital expertise ecosystem.

South Korean financial giant Hanwha Life is deepening its partnership with the UAE through Abu Dhabi's advanced market infrastructure. Dong-Won Kim, Hanwha Life's global president, outlined plans for joint investments in real assets, supply chain financing, cross-border payment infrastructure, and digital asset platforms.

"We're working together to build a new financial system, benefiting from Abu Dhabi's advanced infrastructure," Kim said during the Global Markets Summit. "We hope this partnership becomes a global model for next-generation finance."

Four Hanwha Financial subsidiaries - Hanwha Life, Hanwha General Insurance, Hanwha Asset Management, and Hanwha Investment & Securities - are participating as key partners in Abu Dhabi Financial Week 2025. The event serves as the Middle East's largest financial gathering, bringing together industry leaders to discuss cooperation plans that shape the future of finance.

This collaboration aligns with the "Century Partnership" between South Korea and the UAE, showing how Abu Dhabi's financial sector is attracting major international players looking to build next-generation financial systems.