Overview
- Abu Dhabi Finance Week’s fourth edition opened on December 8 at the new Grand Steps–Al Maryah Island site, hosting 60+ events, 300+ sessions and 800 speakers, with delegates overseeing more than $62 trillion in assets.
- Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed approved Abu Dhabi’s FIDA cluster for fintech, insurance, and digital and alternative assets, led by ADDED and ADIO, targeting AED 56 billion in GDP impact, AED 17 billion in investment and 8,000 jobs by 2045.
- Regulatory oversight for FIDA spans the Ministry of Finance, Central Bank of the UAE, ADGM and the Securities and Commodities Authority, with financing partners including Khalifa Fund and sovereign wealth entities.
- Dubai advanced governance measures as the Executive Council adopted an updated vision for citizens’ housing, a digital resilience policy and the council’s 2026 agenda focused on Dubai 2033 priorities.
- Dubai’s financial ecosystem moves included approval of a five‑year growth strategy for DIFC Courts and plans to leverage the 2026 Dubai Financial Sector Future Week, while the Federal National Council passed the UAE’s largest‑ever 2026 budget of AED 92.4 billion with 37% for social development and pensions.