Abu Dhabi Finance Week Shifts to Private Sessions to Boost Deal-Making

Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) is set to conduct approximately half of its sessions behind closed doors this year, a strategic move by organizers to foster more open dialogue among global financial leaders and achieve concrete business results. The event, scheduled from December 7 to 10, anticipates over 40,000 attendees, including 8,000 senior executives, representing financial leaders with approximately $70 trillion in assets under management.

Chris Hughes, editor-in-chief of ADFW, explained that private meetings facilitate more candid exchanges among senior executives compared to public forums, potentially influencing investment decisions and corporate strategies. "I find that when they are in the private rooms there's a little bit more openness, a little bit more dialogue," Hughes stated at ADGM's Global Media Forum on Tuesday. He elaborated that these sessions encourage dialogue rather than monologue, with participants seated face-to-face to promote interaction.

This shift towards invitation-only discussions, Hughes noted, stems from a growing executive demand for meetings that yield practical outcomes, moving beyond mere networking or public exposure. In 2025, ADFW recorded 82 memorandums of understanding and partnerships, nearly double the 44 agreements and announcements from 2024, according to the organizer, Abu Dhabi’s financial centre ADGM. These agreements involved prominent financial institutions and businesses such as BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, Mubadala, Mastercard, and Swiss Re. While these figures highlight the event's increasing importance as a partnership platform, ADGM has not disclosed the direct contribution of private meetings to these outcomes or their total monetary value.

From Dialogue to Deals

Private meetings offer a conducive environment for investors, regulators, and executives to discuss sensitive commercial matters, identify investment prospects, and advance potential transactions away from public scrutiny. Hughes recalled a closed-door leadership meeting involving the International Monetary Fund at last year's ADFW, which included chief executives from major financial institutions. He observed senior executives taking notes during these discussions, indicating that the information shared could significantly influence decisions within large organizations, even if not immediately visible.

"That extra grain of information they didn't usually have, that can change the economy of... a city or town, or company, or country, just by a tiny little 0.1 degree," Hughes remarked.

The increasing focus on private engagement coincides with Abu Dhabi's growing appeal to international financial institutions. Ahmed Al Zaabi, chairman of ADGM, revealed this week that fourteen global financial firms managing over $5 trillion have announced plans to establish a presence in ADGM within the first half of this year. ADFW is projected to host over 80 events and 400 content sessions this year, an increase from the more than 70 events and 350 sessions in 2025.

These preparations are underway amidst regional instability, with the ongoing Iran conflict impacting business activity, energy markets, and travel in the Middle East. This uncertainty led Saudi Arabia to postpone its Future Investment Initiative conference, initially planned for October 26-29 in Riyadh, to 2027, following recent drone and missile attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels. These attacks, including strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, have heightened security concerns among international executives and investors.

Addressing contingency plans for ADFW amid regional tensions, Hughes expressed confidence in Abu Dhabi's security measures and readiness to host international delegates in December. "I live in Abu Dhabi. I speak for Abu Dhabi," he affirmed, adding that organizers are maintaining close communication with leadership regarding any developments.