ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Fintech Abu Dhabi has returned to its much-anticipated eighth edition, cementing its position as the largest fintech festival in the Middle East. As part of Abu Dhabi Financial Week (ADFW), ADGM's flagship series of events attracts global tech leaders, tech innovators, banking institutions, developers, entrepreneurs and investors who are shaping the future of finance. The conference focuses on payments, digital assets, digital security and credit, while also reaffirming Abu Dhabi's position as a global hub for financial innovation.

Commenting on the event, Salem Mohammed Al Darei, CEO of ADGM Authority, said: " The Abu Dhabi FinTech Festival embodies our relentless pursuit of innovation, bringing together global visionaries to shape the future of finance and technology. We aim to foster meaningful dialogue and continue to strengthen a thriving ecosystem with progressive frameworks and a vibrant business environment. By nurturing this ecosystem, we enable collaboration, drive financial and technological innovation to flourish, and reinforce Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading hub for financial innovation and technology. "

Through a series of thought-provoking sessions and high-profile forums, the Abu Dhabi FinTech Festival highlighted key trends in the industry. Paul Kayrouz, Chief FinTech Officer at the Central Bank of the UAE , delivered a keynote address on " Seeding Success: The UAE as a Global FinTech Hub " , while a fireside chat with His Royal Highness Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud , Founder and CEO of KBW Ventures , on the theme " Investing in AI: What will the world look like tomorrow? " explored the promise of AI as a transformative asset class and its impact on industries such as finance and health. Former British Prime Minister Lord David Cameron spoke to a packed conference about key decisions and policies in the UK a decade ago.

Meanwhile, in a panel discussion titled “ Has the Unicorn Machine Stopped? ” participants focused on the emergence of new unicorns in the fintech sector despite challenges in the venture capital markets, and explored the question of whether today’s ecosystem can continue to grow, or if consolidation is necessary. The discussion saw representatives from FJ Labs, VentureSouq, Airwallex and Financial Technology Partners take to the stage. The “ Building the Digital Asset Ecosystem ” panel brought together notables such as Sebastien Danloy – COO of Euroclear Group, Nadine Chakar , Managing Director and Global Head of Digital Assets at Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation , Domenico Nardelli , Treasurer of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank ( AIIB ), and Marianne Demarchi, CEO of SWIFT EMEA .

This year’s Abu Dhabi FinTech Festival also introduced new forums highlighting the evolving financial and technology landscape. The inaugural Islamic Finance Summit ( IFS ) explored the future of Shariah-compliant finance and its integration with sustainable finance, while the DLT Foundation Roundtable focused on the regulatory framework for distributed ledger technology and digital assets. Forums such as the Abu Dhabi Artificial Intelligence Forum, Blockchain Forum and Risk 4.0 Forum returned to explore the key challenges and opportunities facing technology and finance.

Binance CEO Richard Teng and Circle Internet Financial CEO Jeremy Allaire took the stage to announce a strategic partnership that will accelerate the adoption of USDC and cryptocurrencies around the world. Other key participants included Lily Lui - President of Solana Foundation, Konstantin Richter - CEO of Blockdaemon, Jonathan Levin - Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Chainalysis , Rebecca Rettig - Chief Legal and Policy Officer of Polygon Labs , and Angela Walker - Head of Global Banking and Capital Markets at Chainlink Labs.

As an arena for strategic partnerships, ADFW has signed more than 30 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to date, including two important MoUs signed by ADGM today: the first with PaloAlto Networks and the second with Ma’an.

Abu Dhabi FinTech Festival also hosts the MENA FinTech Awards , which recognises excellence in the fintech sector, as well as the FinTech Abu Dhabi Startup Zone and Entrepreneurship Zone , where local startups showcase their innovations to potential investors.

The various forums held today underscore FinTech Abu Dhabi Festival’s commitment to fostering discussion and empowering participants to thrive in a rapidly evolving financial ecosystem.