Agenda

Agenda

This agenda is subject to change.

11 December

2025
09:25 - 09:30 Keynote ADQ Arena

Welcome to the 8th Edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum

Join the CEO of the ADGM Authorities extend a warm welcome to the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum. The 8th edition has cemented the forum as a pivotal gathering in the world of climate finance. As ADGM pursues its vision of becoming the leader in Green Finance, we take a moment to reflect on some of the initiatives and actions already underway to turn this vision into reality.

Speaker
Salem Mohammed Al Darei

CEO

ADGM Authority

09:30 - 09:45 Fireside ADQ Arena

From Ambition to Action: Financing the Transition to a Green Economy

Turning climate ambitions into tangible progress requires coordinated, unified, and holistic measures from across the financial ecosystem to support businesses, innovators, and communities. In this session, we explore what is being done and what more is needed to facilitate the region’s transition to a green economy and advance climate action.

Speaker
Her Highness Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan

President and CEO

Frontier25

Moderator
Emma Graham [Moderator]

Middle East Bureau Chief

CNBC

09:45 - 10:10 Roundtable ADQ Arena

The Climate Finance Architect's Board, with GCFC

A high-level boardroom session convened by the Global Climate Finance Centre, designed as a public “board meeting” with CEOs, policymakers, and global advisors. This debate will explore practical pathways to position the UAE as a global climate finance hub and unlock capital for transition projects.

Speaker
Martin Tricaud

Group Head of Wholesale Banking

First Abu Dhabi Bank

Speaker
Mohamed Abdelbary

Group CEO

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank

Speaker
Mohamed Al Marzooqi

CEO – UAE

HSBC Bank Middle East Limited

Speaker
John Eric Podgore

Partner

Mohammed Al Dahbashi Advocates LLC t/a ADG Legal

Moderator
Mercedes Vela Monserrate [Moderator]

CEO

GCFC

10:10 - 10:25 Presentation ADQ Arena

Champions of the Falcon Economy, with ADX

This special segment will showcase the investment thesis and growth strategies of several listed industrial champions as they shape Abu Dhabi’s economic future.

Speaker
Faisal Falaknaz

Group Chief Financial and Sustainability Officer

Aldar Properties

Speaker
Jan-Martin Nufer

CFO

Borouge

Speaker
Esteban Gomez Nadal

Group CEO

e7 Group

10:25 - 10:50 Panel ADQ Arena

Achieving a Double Bottom Line

Few areas of finance capture the balance between purpose and performance as strongly as impact investing. From advancing global health to unlocking breakthroughs in deeptech, impact capital is reshaping how industries deliver measurable social good and generate tangible benefits for communities alongside sustainable financial returns. This fireside discussion will explore investment trends, innovation frontiers, and how purposeful capital can build more inclusive, resilient, and future-ready societies.

Speaker
Eugenia Unanyants-Jackson

Global Head of ESG

PGIM

Speaker
Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil

Founder & Chairman

Burjeel Holdings

Speaker
Jérôme de Bontin

Partner

Capricorn Investment Group

Speaker
Alaa Murabit

Managing Partner - Sustainable Growth

500 Global

Moderator
David Atkin [Moderator]

CEO

Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)

10:50 - 11:15 Panel ADQ Arena

Pledges to Projects: Scaling Energy Transition

This session unpacks how global climate pledges are driving capital toward electrification and renewable infrastructure globally. Join pioneering firms transform climate ambition scaling low-carbon fuel supply chains, advanced battery materials delivering high energy density, and clean energy operations that integrate sustainability across the value chain.

Speaker
Dan Cook

CEO & Co-Founder

Lyten

Speaker
Nawal Saini

Managing Partner

Brookfield

Speaker
Horst H. Mahmoudi

Chairman

Smartenergy

Speaker
Fabrice Dumonteil

Chairman & CEO

Eiffel Investment Group

Moderator
Nadia Humphreys [Moderator]

Head of Sustainable Finance Data Solutions

Bloomberg LP

11:15 - 11:30 Super Fireside ADQ Arena

Abu Dhabi: The Capital of Green Capital

A dynamic look at Abu Dhabi’s rise as a global hub for climate finance and investment resilience. This session explores how forward-thinking policies, strategic investments, future-proofing and flagship projects are creating high-impact ecosystems shaping the future.

Speaker
Karim Radwan

Partner, Head of Investments

Altérra

Speaker
Hanan Al Yafei

Executive Director

Mubadala

11:30 - 11:45 Panel ADQ Arena

Sustainable Byte: Low Impact AI Infrastructure

As we enter the AI era and digital demand surges, so do its energy and resource needs. This panel explores how data centres, computing power, and AI ecosystems can be designed for minimal environmental impact, balancing sustainability and innovation in the digital age.

Speaker
Frank Possmeier

Chief Investment Officer

TAQA

Speaker
Patrick Eilers

Founder & Managing Partner

Transition Equity Partners, LLC

Moderator
Linda-Eling Lee [Moderator]

Founding Director and Head

MSCI Institute

11:45 - 12:05 Panel ADQ Arena

Decoding the Banker's Sustainability Mandate

It's been a challenging year for banks navigating sustainability efforts. While some have scaled back their ambitions, many global and regional banks continue integrating ESG criteria, adopting green financing frameworks, and setting ambitious net-zero targets. This session explores how banks are adapting to these pressures while advancing the global transition to a sustainable economy.

Speaker
Esra Turk

Global Head of Sustainable Finance and ESG Solutions, Investment Bank

Deutsche Bank

Speaker
Barbara Scheck

Vice Dean of Programs

Stern at NYUAD

Moderator
Heather Buchanan [Moderator]

CEO

Bankers for Net Zero

12:05 - 12:20 Panel ADQ Arena

The Green Silk Road

Uncover how China’s sustainability leaders are charting the Green Silk Road; an emerging corridor of capital, innovation, and climate cooperation. Hear how green finance, renewable technologies, and strategic partnerships are transforming global markets and deepening collaboration between China and the Middle East

Speaker
Da Teng

Vice President of LONGi Emerging Market Region Group

LONGi

Speaker
Snow Feinan Li

Chair of SABA Investment, Vice Chair of QingSong Capital & Vice Chair

MT Group

Moderator
Ye Liu [Moderator]

TV Host

Yicai Media Group

12:20 - 12:40 Panel ADQ Arena

SpaceTech for a Planet in Balance

This panel explores how cutting-edge space technologies are shaping a sustainable future on Earth and beyond. Industry leaders discuss the role of satellites, orbital solutions, and engineering innovations in tackling climate challenges, resource management, and global collaboration. Attendees will gain insight into how space ventures are transforming both business and societal impact.1

Speaker
Praveen Vetrivel

CEO

SLI

Speaker
Hasan Ahmed Al Hosani

CEO

Space42

Speaker
Jeffrey Dewit

CEO

American Orbit

Speaker
Tejpaul Bhatia

CEO

Plan Z Capital

Moderator
Ellecia Saffron [Moderator]

Founder & Principal

Maysaffron

12:45 - 12:50 Opening Remarks ADQ Arena

Opening Remarks

Please stay tuned for more details about this session soon.

Speaker
Lucie Berger

Ambassador

European Union

12:50 - 13:00 Keynote ADQ Arena

Keynote Speech by Commissioner for the Mediterranean, European Commission

Please stay tuned for more details about this session soon.

Speaker
H.E. Dubravka Šuica

Commissioner for Mediterranean

European Commission

13:00 - 13:30 Panel ADQ Arena

Unlocking Green Investment Opportunities in the EU-GCC-MENA Energy Mega-Region

This opening high-level panel will explore how the EU, GCC, and MENA regions can collaborate to accelerate the green transition through clean energy investments. Learn how public-private partnerships, innovative finance models, and regional cooperation are unlocking opportunities in renewables, hydrogen, and energy efficiency, setting the tone for a day of actionable discussions

Speaker
HE Abdulla Balalaa

Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy & Sustainability

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Speaker
Ioannis Tsakiris

Vice President

European Investment Bank (EIB)

Speaker
H.E. Majid Al Suwaidi

CEO

ALTERRA

Moderator
Georgia Tolley [Moderator]

Presenter

Dubai Eye 103.8 FM

13:25 - 13:55 Panel ADQ Arena

Scaling Up Finance for Water, Green Energy & Smart Infrastructure

This high-level session will examine investment and financing opportunities in water security, green energy, and smart infrastructure across the EU–GCC region. It will highlight how sustainable finance instruments and EU–GCC partnerships can accelerate projects that enhance resilience, resource efficiency, and climate-aligned economic growth.

Speaker
Felicity Spors

Director, Sustainable Business and Infrastructure

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Speaker
Daniel Calderon

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Alcazar Energy

Speaker
Mazin Khan

CFO

MASDAR

Moderator
Spyridon (Spyros) Kouvelis [Moderator]

Team Leader

EU-GCC Green Transition

14:00 - 14:15 Closing ADQ Arena

Closing Remarks

Please stay tuned for more details about this session soon

09:30 - 16:30 Summit Private

GtFT - Google Finance & Technology Summit

12:00 - 12:05 Welcome Emirates NBD Stage

Opening Remarks: Shaping the Future of Islamic Finance

The 2nd edition of Islamic Finance Summit will convene global leaders, regulators, and innovators to shape the future of Shariah-compliant finance. Advancing ethical growth, financial inclusion, and sustainable investment across emerging and established markets.

Speaker
Hanan Al Sammak

Founder & CEO

Hanan AlSammak Consultany LLC

12:05 - 12:35 Panel Emirates NBD Stage

Standarization and Shariah Regulations: Building Trust & Projects at Scale

As Islamic finance grows globally, harmonizing regulatory and Shariah standards presents a major opportunity for innovation and cross-border collaboration. This panel highlights how central and development banks, standard-setting bodies, and Shariah boards can align frameworks to enhance investor confidence, unlock new markets, and accelerate the development of Islamic finance products.

Speaker
Azamat Tyuleubay

Senior Managing Director

Eurasian Development Bank

Speaker
Renat Bekturov

Governor

The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC)

Speaker
Arifa Ala

Senior Assistant Governor

Bangko Sentral NG Pilipinas

12:35 - 13:05 Panel Emirates NBD Stage

Going Digital: Enabling Growth through Islamic Finance Innovation

Explore how digital transformation is redefining Islamic finance. This session dives into the latest trends in digital banking and assets, and how innovation is expanding access, deepening inclusion, and powering growth across the UAE and beyond.

Speaker
Sina Meier

Head of Switzerland, Middle East & FraBeLux

21shares

Speaker
Junaid Wahedna

Founder & Chairman

Wahed Inc.

Speaker
Parvin Jain

CEO

Vision Bank Limited

Moderator
Neha Mehta [Moderator]

Founder & CEO

FemTech Partners

13:05 - 13:35 Panel Emirates NBD Stage

Sukuk: Scaling the Next Trillion

The global Sukuk market is growing rapidly, projected to rise from $1.08 trillion in 2024 to $1.30 trillion in 2025. Growth is driven by innovative structures, including sustainability-linked instruments, with Southeast Asia and the Middle East leading the issuance. This session explores regional dynamics and strategies propelling Sukuk toward the next trillion-dollar milestone.

Speaker
Mustafa Adil

Head of Islamic Finance

London Stock Exchange Group

Speaker
Khurram Hilal

CEO, Group Islamic Banking

Standard Chartered Bank

Speaker
Idrissa Abdallah Boly

Co-Chief Investment Officer

Ajeej Capital

Moderator
Mariam Meskin [Moderator]

Head of Primary Markets CEEMEA

Debtwire

13:35 - 14:05 Panel Emirates NBD Stage

Shari'ah Aligned Portfolios: Balancing Ethics & Risks

Islamic asset managers are navigating complex client demands from ethical investing, ESG overlays, and alternative asset classes. How are leading firms designing Shariah-compliant portfolios that compete globally while staying values-driven?

Speaker
Jason Barsema

Co-Founder

Halo Investing

Speaker
Mohammed Chowdhury

Chief Financial Officer

Arcapita

Speaker
Iqbal Khan

Group CEO

Fajr Capital

15:30 - 19:00 Ceremony ADQ Arena

NYU Stern 2025 Graduation Ceremony

15:00 - 17:00 Forum Capital Boardroom

2nd EU-GCC Finance & Investment for Green Transition Forum; Technical Session

10:30 - 11:30 Ceremony ADCB Stage

ADGM Partners Recognition Ceremony

13:00 - 15:00 Roundtable Capital Boardroom

Abu Dhabi High-Level Roundtable on Climate Investment

12:00 - 12:05 Opening Remarks ADCB Stage

Welcoming Remarks: Framing the Future of Finance

For the third consecutive year, the Atlantic Council will host Abu Dhabi Finance Week’s Women in Finance programming. The event will open with remarks from Khalid Azim, Director of the MENA Futures Lab, who will set the tone for this year’s conference by highlighting the pivotal role of innovation as an economic and financial equalizer.

Speaker
Khalid Azim

Director

Atlantic Council

12:05 - 12:10 Keynote ADCB Stage

The Opening Perspective: The Power of Balance

In a world recalibrating its values, balance is emerging as the true measure of progress. This opening keynote reflects on how inclusion, integrity and shared leadership can strengthen institutions and inspire sustainable growth across economies. When diversity is embraced with intent, the future of finance becomes wiser, fairer and more enduring.

Speaker
Linda Fitz-Alan

Registrar & Chief Executive

ADGM Courts

12:10 - 12:15 Ceremony ADCB Stage

Special Recognition Ceremony

MENA Futures Lab's Associate Director, Nour Dabboussi, will introduce ADFW Women in Finance's Inaugural Awardee, H.E.Raja El Mazrouei, CEO of Etihad Credit Insurance. This recognition will celebrate H.E.El Mazrouei's career achievements and contirbutions to the MENA region's finance world.

Speaker
Nour Dabboussi

Associate Director

Atlantic Council

12:15 - 12:30 Fireside ADCB Stage

In Conversation with H.E. Raja Al Mazrouei

This conversation will highlight H.E. Al Mazrouei's remarkable career in finance, her unwavering dedication around advancing women's economic participation, and the ways her leadership of Etihad Credit Insurance has facilitated the growth of the UAE's non-oil exports.

Speaker
H.E. Raja Al Mazrouei

CEO

Etihad Credit Insurance

Moderator
Nayla Tueni [Moderator]

CEO

Annahar News

12:30 - 12:50 Fireside ADCB Stage

Leveraging AI Tools in Investing and Innovation

Artificial intelligence isn’t replacing investors: it’s redefining them. This conversation explores how AI is sharpening foresight, unlocking new forms of creativity, and enabling smarter, more inclusive investment decisions in businesses across the MENA region.

Speaker
Saeeda Jaffar

SVP, GCM - GCC

Visa, CEMEA

Moderator
Abeer Abu Omar [Moderator]

Deputy UAE Bureau Chief, Economics Reporter

Bloomberg

12:50 - 13:10 Fireside ADCB Stage

The Policy-People Connection: Innovation through Entrepreneurship

This session will emphasize how strategic initiatives can drive human capital development by equipping entrepreneurs with the skills, networks, and resources to turn ideas into impactful ventures, underpinning the region's commitment to policies that incentivize sustainable growthcreating conditions.

Speaker
H.E. Ayesha Almulla

Chairwoman

Emirates Business Women Council

Moderator
Khalid Azim [Moderator]

Director

Atlantic Council

13:00 - 13:15 Fireside ADCB Stage

Smart Cities and E-Mobility: Investing in Future-Ready Solutions

As cities evolve into digital ecosystems, investors are steering capital toward sustainable mobility, clean energy, and urban technology. This fireside chat explores the nexus between smart infrastructure, innovation, and investment driving the cities of tomorrow.

Speaker
Latifa Alshehhi

Chief AI Officer

UAE Ministry of Investment

Moderator
Laura Merlini [Moderator]

Managing Director, EMEA

CAIA Association

13:10 - 13:30 Fireside ADCB Stage

From Strategy to People: Embedding Human Capital in Organizational Growth

Strategies may set direction, but people drive progress. This session explores the role of corporate governance management in transforming talent into an engine for innovation, fostering cultures of trust, adaptability, and purpose that enable financial institutions to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving global economy.

Speaker
Iktimal Daneshvar

Vice President, RPO, META Region

Korn Ferry

13:30 - 14:00 Panel ADCB Stage

Sustainable Capital and Innovation in Green Finance

Sustainability is now smart economics, and the MENA region is proving it. This panel highlights how investors and institutions are coupling climate change awareness with responsible investment through green finance, blended capital, and innovative financial tools that power the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Speaker
Fatemah Ali Din

Senior Vice President - MENA

thyssenkrupp

Speaker
Marwa Al Mansoori

Board Member

Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Speaker
Laura Merlini

Managing Director, EMEA

CAIA Association

Moderator
Adel Hamaizia [Moderator]

Managing Director of Highbridge Advisory and Senior Nonresident Fellow

Atlantic Council

14:00 - 14:30 Panel ADCB Stage

Investing in Knowledge: How Financial Literacy Can Drive More Equitable Societies

When women and girls gain access to financial education and investment opportunities, entire economies benefit. This session examines how financial inclusion amplifies women’s ability to support their families, invest in businesses, and participate fully in economic life, generating multiplier effects that advance both social and national development.

Speaker
Paula Fontenla

Founder

Argentem Creek Partners

Speaker
Wafa Alobaidat

Founder & CEO

Playbook

Speaker
Racha Alkhawaja

Partner

Gate Capital

Moderator
Nour Dabboussi [Moderator]

Associate Director

Atlantic Council

14:30 - 15:00 Panel ADCB Stage

Leaders in Motion: Women Driving Financial Innovation

Women at the forefront of banking, digital assets, investment, and property are not standing still, they’re setting the pace and shifting the centre of influence. This session spotlights the female leaders actively reshaping financial innovation across global markets.

Speaker
Nadine Chakkar

Global Head of Digital Assets

DTCC

Speaker
Isha Chander

CAO, CEEMEA Payments

J.P. Morgan

Speaker
Sunidhi Pasan

Group CEO

Finstreet Limited

Moderator
Gina Clarke [Moderator]

Content Director, Fintech Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi Finance Week

15:00 - 15:15 Fireside ADCB Stage

Scaling Smart: Redefining Venture Growth

The next wave of venture growth will be defined by sharper focus, smarter capital and stronger networks. This fireside explores how discipline, data and diversity are reshaping how high-performing companies scale — and what today’s founders and investors must understand to build sustainably in more competitive markets. A candid look at the strategies that separate momentum from meaningful, long-term value creation.

Moderator
Nkiruka Uwaje [Moderator]

Co-Founder & COO

MANSA

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