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ABU DHABI, UAE, Dec. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — ADGM, the international financial centre (IFC) of Abu Dhabi, in partnership with Global Climate Finance Centre (GCFC), Hanwha and the EU GCC Cooperation on green transition project, today hosted the 8th edition of the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum (ADSFF). Held on the final day of ADFW, the forum brought together climate-finance leaders, innovators, policymakers and institutional investors, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s position as a global force in advancing the net-zero, nature-positive transition.
Opening the forum, Salem Mohammed Al Darei, CEO of ADGM Authority, highlighted how Abu Dhabi has rapidly emerged as a centre of gravity for sustainable finance, advancing ambitious policies, building climate-resilient ecosystems, and advancing capital toward high-impact global solutions. His remarks set the tone for a day dedicated to addressing the investment pathways, regulatory mechanisms, and cross-border partnerships that will shape the next era of climate-aligned finance.
During his speech, Al Darei said, "Our commitment is clear – Abu Dhabi will continue to serve as the destination where capital finds purpose and purpose finds progress. As the Capital of Green Capital, we are building bridges between regions and mobilising capital for renewable infrastructure, green technologies and sustainable innovation across emerging and developed markets. This forum reflects Abu Dhabi’s growing stature as a global platform for sustainable finance, where ambition meets execution, and partnerships drive systemic transformation"
In a session titled ‘From Ambition to Action: Financing the Transition to a Green Economy,‘ Her Highness Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President and CEO, Frontier25, then discussed what is being done and what more is needed to facilitate the region’s transition to a green economy and advance climate action.
Across a full day of keynotes, panel discussions, fireside conversations, and vision-setting dialogues, the forum explored renewable-energy investment, biodiversity financing, AI-enabled ESG risk analysis, Islamic sustainable finance, green infrastructure, and frontier climate innovations, from engineered ecosystems to climate-resilient digital infrastructure.
Under the unifying theme of aligning capital with climate ambition, participants examined how financial markets can accelerate large-scale investment into energy transition, green infrastructure, and nature-based solutions. The line-up included several standout sessions emblematic of Abu Dhabi’s expanding leadership in sustainability-driven finance.
A headline session explored how future-proof urban planning, forward-looking policy frameworks, and major climate-aligned projects are reinforcing the emirate’s position as a global platform for sustainable investment. Speakers assessed how long-term capital, climate resilience strategies, and cross-border collaboration are reshaping the green finance landscape.
Breakout Events on Sustainability Day
Coinciding with the main event, the Women in Finance Forum brought together influential female leaders across global finance, investment, sustainability, and regulatory spheres to discuss pathways to greater inclusion, leadership, and innovation in the industry. Through sessions such as "Leaders in Motion: Women Driving Financial Innovation," the event underscored the pivotal role women play in setting the pace and shifting the centre of influence by reshaping financial innovation across global markets.
In addition to the day’s flagship sessions, several parallel forums added depth and industry perspective, including the 2nd EU-GCC Finance & Investment for Green Transition Forum, the Google Finance & Technology Summit (GtFT25), the Islamic Finance Summit, the Abu Dhabi High-Level Roundtable on Climate Investment and Money Moves: Building Arab Youth Wealth and Confidence each gathering sector leaders and professionals dedicated to advancing climate financing, resilience strategies, and green-economy collaboration.
ADSFF also highlighted progress by the UAE Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG), which recently endorsed the new "Principles for Climate Transition Planning" under Workstream Four, which represented a significant milestone guiding financial institutions toward credible, transparent transition-planning practices aligned with the UAE’s net-zero objectives.
The forum also welcomed the new signatories of the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Declaration, bringing the total to 180 institutions committed to supporting Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s long-term net-zero goals.
Newcomers and Collaborations
The fourth day of ADFW witnessed announcements from J.P. Morgan, ERM, DLA Piper, Arab Bank (Switzerland) Middle East and iCapital, announcing the setting up of offices or expanding their business in ADGM. J.P. Morgan is accelerating the growth of its J.P. Morgan Payments business by bringing its global best-in-class Treasury capabilities to the UAE. While Arab Bank – the newly established regional entity of Swiss Private Bank Arab Bank (Switzerland), ERM – the world’s largest specialist sustainability consultancy, and DLA Piper, a global law firm, are establishing new offices in ADGM and expanding their footprint in the region.
A total of 23 Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) were announced during the last day of ADFW. Partnerships were signed between local and international entities such as Tether, Crypto.com, Zodia, Presto, PCP, Warner bros. Discovery, Global World Gold Council, Bain Capital and more.
For more details on ADFW, visit www.adfw.com.
