Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2026 will bring together more than 200 confirmed international speakers when it convenes from December 7 to 10, organizers announced on August 13. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Executive Council, the event carries the theme “The Capital Community, Powered by Partnerships.”
The institutional weight of the speaker roster signals the scale of official commitment. H.E. Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Global Market and the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, will participate alongside H.E. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade for the UAE; H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport; and H.E. Dr. Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs. Also confirmed are H.E. Shamis Ali Khalfan Al Dhaheri, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Community Development and Second Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry; H.E. Salem Al Nuami, Managing Director of Abu Dhabi Pension Fund; and H.E. Majid Al Suwaidi, CEO of ALTÉRRA.
Private sector representation spans the upper tiers of global finance. Oliver Bäte, Chairman and CEO of Allianz SE, will attend alongside Tan Su Shan, CEO of DBS Group; Ron O’Hanley, Chairman and CEO of State Street; Bill Winters, CEO of Standard Chartered; and Clare Woodman CBE, CEO International at Morgan Stanley. The roster extends further to Stefan Bollinger, CEO of Julius Baer; Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara, Executive Director and CEO of Temasek Holdings; Andreas Berger, Group CEO of Swiss Re; Charles R. Kaye, Chairman of Warburg Pincus; and Hendrik du Toit, Founder and CEO of Ninety One.
Asset management and alternatives leadership feature prominently as well. Jenny Johnson, CEO of Franklin Templeton, is confirmed alongside Katie Koch, President and CEO of TCW; Tobias C. Pross, CEO of Allianz Global Investors; Marc C. Ganzi, CEO of DigitalBridge; Dmitry Balyasny, Co-Founder, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Balyasny Asset Management; Mike Freno, Chairman, President and CEO of Barings; David Druley, CEO of Cambridge Associates; and Stefan Hoops, CEO of DWS. Tarek Sultan, Chairman of Agility; Steven Desmyter, President of Man Group; and Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad round out that segment of the programme.
The technology and digital assets sector adds a distinct institutional dimension. Chamath Palihapitiya, Founder of Social Capital, will speak alongside Richard Teng, CEO of Binance; JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation; Robert Smith, Founder and CEO of Vista Equity; Pascal Gauthier, Chairman and CEO of Ledger; Lily Liu, President of Solana Foundation; and Charles Cascarilla, Co-Founder and CEO of Paxos.
Al Zaabi framed the early commitments as a measure of institutional confidence in Abu Dhabi’s standing. “The exceptional early commitment from global financial leaders to ADFW 2026 reflects growing confidence in Abu Dhabi as a trusted destination for capital, investment and long-term partnerships,” he said. “The strength of ADFW lies not only in the conversations that happen here, but in what they lead to. By bringing together the world’s leading investors, policymakers and innovators, Abu Dhabi creates an environment where dialogue translates into investment and relationships become long-term partnerships. That is what distinguishes Abu Dhabi as the Capital of Capital.”
By contrast with previous editions, the 2026 programme introduces a more structured architecture designed to sharpen outcomes. New components include the inaugural Abu Dhabi Real Estate Summit, the AIMA Global Hedge Fund Leaders Platform, The Hub71 Startups Campus, and a Healthcare and BioTech Forum. Multiple Global Strategy Roundtables and expanded private forums will run throughout the week. Organizers expect more than 70 thematic events featuring over 800 speakers in total, with content organized around four main thematic days covering Abu Dhabi’s economic strategy, global markets, asset management, fintech, digital assets, sustainable finance, and Islamic finance.
Whether the expanded structure translates the week’s dialogue into the durable partnerships Al Zaabi described will be the measure by which the 2026 edition is ultimately judged.