DIFC to host inaugural Dubai Financial Week in November

Dubai: Under the guidance and patronage of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the DIFC will host the inaugural Dubai Financial Week from 2 to 6 November 2026. The event will feature more than 850 speakers across a programme of over 85 events, including 12 major forums held across 14 platforms in Dubai. Dubai Financial Week is positioned as the region's largest gathering for the global financial sector and will focus on financial trends and economic opportunities within the international financial ecosystem. Held under the theme “Reshaping the Financial Sector: Where Innovation Meets Policy and Objectives”, the event will address six key areas: fintech, tokenisation, Islamic finance, family wealth, sustainable finance and private equity. Essa Kazim, Governor of DIFC, said the event brings together global financial decision-makers to align policy, innovation and growth while supporting the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. The flagship event of Dubai Financial Week will be the Dubai Fintech Summit, scheduled for 2 and 3 November, bringing together leaders from banking, capital markets and financial technology. Participants include Nicolas Moreau, Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Asset Management; Noel Quinn, Chairman of Julius Baer Bank; Dr Shanu S.P. Hendoya, Chairwoman of S.P. Hendoya Private Bank; and Fatih Karahan, Governor of the Central Bank of Türkiye. Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of the DIFC Authority, said the expansion of the Dubai Fintech Summit and the addition of specialised forums on digital assets and family wealth will help support the future development of the financial sector. The programme will also include the Future Sustainability Forum on 3 November, focused on sustainable finance and green investment, the Middle East and North Africa Banking Excellence Awards, and the Future of the International Private Capital Market Conference. On 4 November, the Future of Islamic Finance Forum and the Fixed Income Alternatives Conference will examine developments in Islamic finance, capital markets and structured credit strategies. The Dubai Family Wealth Summit, Investment Leaders Forum and Future of Tokenisation Forum will take place on 5 November, bringing together investors, advisers and industry leaders to discuss governance, succession planning, token markets and the future of financial infrastructure. Other events include the Investment Leadership Programme, the Gulf Transformation and Sustainable Finance Conference 2026, and GP Insurance Dubai, which will focus on sustainable growth, risk management and innovation in the insurance sector. According to the organisers, Dubai Financial Week forms part of efforts to support Dubai's ambition under the D33 agenda to become one of the world's top four global financial centres.