DIFC sets November programme for first finance week

Dubai International Financial Centre has confirmed the programme for the inaugural Dubai Future Finance Week, bringing more than 850 speakers to a five-day series of events across the emirate from November 2 to 6.

The programme will comprise more than 85 high-level events, including 12 signature forums across 14 stages, and will focus on fintech, tokenisation, Islamic finance, family wealth, sustainable finance and private capital. The week will be held under the theme “Finance Reimagined: Where Innovation Meets Policy and Purpose”.

Dubai Future Finance Week is being organised under the directives and patronage of Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and President of DIFC. Organisers said the platform is intended to support the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which includes an ambition to position Dubai among the world’s top four financial centres.

The Dubai FinTech Summit, scheduled for November 2 and 3, will anchor the week, bringing together leaders from banking, capital markets and financial technology. Confirmed headline speakers include Nicolas Moreau, chief executive of HSBC Asset Management; Noel Quinn, chairman of Julius Baer; Shanu S. P. Hinduja, chair of S. P. Hinduja Banque Privée; and Fatih Karahan, governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye.

The organisers said the combined schedule is designed to encourage discussion across sectors that increasingly overlap, particularly as digital assets, private credit, climate finance and wealth management reshape traditional business models and prompt regulators and institutions to reassess market structures and investment strategies.

Essa Kazim, Governor of DIFC, said the global financial system was undergoing structural change and that the new week was designed to bring major financial decision-makers together around policy, innovation and economic growth. He said the coordinated format would connect different parts of the financial industry while advancing the objectives of D33.

The Future Sustainability Forum on November 3 will focus on sustainable finance, green capital and the transition to a lower-carbon economy. The same day will also feature the MENA Banking Excellence Awards and IPEM Future 2026, which is expected to bring together private capital managers, investors and allocators.

On November 4, the Future Islamic Finance Forum will examine Sharia-compliant finance and Islamic capital markets, while the Deal Catalyst Fixed Income Alternatives Conference will address private and structured credit strategies. GAIP InsureTek Dubai, running on November 4 and 5, will explore insurance innovation, risk and sustainable growth.

The programme for November 5 includes the Dubai Family Wealth Summit, where family principals and advisers will discuss succession, governance and long-term asset allocation. The Investment Leaders Exchange will bring together senior institutional investors, while the Future Tokenisation Forum will focus on tokenised markets and next-generation financial infrastructure.

Other specialist sessions will include the Capital Exchange CIO Investment Leadership Programme on November 2 and 3, designed for institutional investors and private-market participants. Gulf Transition and Sustainable Finance 2026, scheduled for November 2, will examine sustainable bonds, climate transition financing and green buildings.

Arif Amiri, chief executive of DIFC Authority, said the week would extend the financial centre’s existing ecosystem by linking its major conferences with specialised forums in digital assets, private wealth and sustainable investment. He said the aim was to provide a common platform where market participants and regulators could examine the infrastructure and policies needed for financial-sector development.

The five-day event also reflects a change in the calendar for the initiative. Dubai Future Finance Week had initially been scheduled for May, while the organisers later shifted the Dubai FinTech Summit and the broader programme to November. Existing registrations for the summit were transferred to the new dates.

The official event platform lists venues across Dubai, including Madinat Jumeirah, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Grand Hyatt Dubai, Jumeirah Mina Al Salam, DIFC Atrium and JW Marriott Hotel Marina. The Dubai FinTech Summit will be held at Madinat Jumeirah, while other forums will be distributed among several locations.