ADFW Opens with Spotlight on Abu Dhabi's Global Ambition and Major Humanitarian Pledge

ABU DHABI, UAE, Dec. 8, 2025 /CNW/ -- Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) 2025 opened today with some of the world's most influential financial and business leaders engaging in critical discourse around the capital's evolving economic landscape and strategic role on the world stage.

This year's ADFW - hosted by ADGM - is the largest and most significant edition of the region's flagship financial gathering. This edition also witnessed a landmark pledging moment, convened by the Mohamed bin Zayed (MBZ) Foundation for Humanity. Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation, joined other international leaders, philanthropists, and global health partners to commit a collective USD 1.9 billion for polio eradication.

The official ADFW Opening Ceremony brought together Abu Dhabi's economic leadership and international delegates for a high-level assembly to catalyse global collaboration and dialogue. It set an ambitious tone for the day, inviting global decision-makers into a conversation defined by trust, legacy, and future connectivity.

In his opening address, H.E. Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) and ADGM, stated, "In only four years, ADFW has become one of the most influential financial gatherings in the world. A reflection of an economy that rises with purpose, thinks with clarity and consistently delivers results that reshape global markets. This year, we welcome leaders from across the world representing more than 60 trillion dollars in assets, representing over half the world's GDP."

H.E. added , "For twenty-five years, Abu Dhabi held a double-A credit rating, without a single downgrade, and achieved seventeen consecutive quarters of GDP growth, with 6.6 per cent in the last quarter alone. We are the world's richest city in sovereign wealth, and the region's leading and largest international financial centre. Our capital markets have grown for six consecutive years, with foreign investment surging four times and now accounting for more than a third of all activity."

ADEF: Local Momentum Meets Global Ambition

Earlier in the day, the third edition of ADEF brought together UAE Cabinet ministers, sovereign wealth fund executives, CEOs of Abu Dhabi's industrial champions and international stakeholders to explore Abu Dhabi's economic diversification, industrial strategy, infrastructure pipeline, and evolving trade partnerships. It also highlighted the progress of the Falcon Economy – with Q2 2025 GDP reaching AED 306.3 billion and non-oil economic growth at 6.6% YoY.

Opening the forum, H.E. Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Managing Director & Group CEO of Mubadala Investment Company, delivered a visionary message,saying, "Today Abu Dhabi is a global centre of capital, AI, energy, innovation and life sciences. We are engineering a globally connected economy built around the sectors and technologies that will define the next generation of global wealth and global growth. Abu Dhabi and our partners in this room will be central to whatever that future becomes. If you believe the world is changing, invest where you can shape that change."

USD 1.9 Billion Polio Pledge at ADFW

In the afternoon, the global pledging, 'Investing in Humanity' panel, was hosted by the MBZ Foundation for Humanity, in partnership with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Gates was joined on stage by Her Highness Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chair of the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity and H.E. Dr. Mekdes Daba, Minister of Health, Ethiopia.

Pledges were made from a diverse group of donors and countries, including USD 1.2 billion from the Gates Foundation; USD 140 million from the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity; USD 450 million from Rotary International; USD 100 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies; USD 154 million from Pakistan and USD 62 million from Germany; USD 46 million from the United States of America; USD 6 million from Japan; $4 million from the Islamic Food & Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA); and USD 3 million from Luxembourg.

"The fight to end polio shows what is possible when the world invests together in a shared goal. We're 99.9 per cent of the way there – but the last stretch demands the same determination that got us this far," said Gates. "This renewed funding will help us cross the finish line and strengthen the systems that protect children from this terrible disease for good."

Newcomers and Major Collaborations

A number of firms announced setting up in ADGM on the inaugural day of ADFW. The Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM formally approved the authorisation of Binance's global platform, Binance.com, under a comprehensive regulatory framework. Meanwhile, Cantor, a premier global investment bank and Plenary Group, a global infrastructure developer and investor, have secured an In Principle Approval (IPA) from the FSRA and are expanding their Middle East presence.

In another significant announcement, Mubadala and Aldar committed to an AED 60+ billion expansion of the north side of Al Maryah Island . The development will deliver more than 1.5 million sqm of gross floor area, including Grade A offices, luxury homes, retail and hospitality – seamlessly blending commerce, community and lifestyle.

Breakout Events: Insight-Driven, Sector-Focused Dialogues

The opening day also featured a robust agenda of invite-only and public forums. Highlights included Global Markets Summit, a newly added event examined the macroeconomic undercurrents shaping trade flows, investment strategies and the global capital network realignment, CNBC's New Energy Finance Forum, which convened energy CEOs and the UAE Minister of Energy to examine the intersection of AI, energy demand, and investment flows in the transition economy; the Greenwich Economic Forum, a closed-door gathering of global CEOs and investment leaders, Private Wealth Dialogues, focused on family office strategy and private banking trends; the CEO Global Growth Forum, which brought together portfolio company leaders and the UBS Investor Forum, which explored emerging capital opportunities and cross-border investment flows.

For more details of ADFW, visit www.adfw.com.

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Melissa Dsilva, [email protected], [phone]