Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) has signed memoranda of understanding with several international financial institutions as part of efforts to strengthen the newly launched FinTech, Insurance, Digital and Alternative Assets (FIDA) cluster.
In interview with Aletihad at the Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) on Tuesday, Fatima Al Hamadi, Head of the Financial Services Cluster at ADIO, said these agreements are aimed at supporting meaningful talent exchange and strengthening the ecosystem being built under the FIDA cluster.
Signed entities include China International Capital Corporation (CICC), Prudential, ePay, and Bain Capital.
Al Hamadi said global financial systems are undergoing rapid transformation driven by emerging sectors such as mobility, artificial intelligence, biotech and advanced SMEs.
These industries, she added, require modern financial infrastructure to scale, and Abu Dhabi views this shift as a strategic opening to position itself at the centre of future economic growth.
FIDA’s role involves aligning regulation, financial institutions, fintech innovators and insurance players under one structure.
The cluster focuses on five strategic segments central to the global economy, including fintech, digital assets, specialised insurance and pension solutions. “It acts like a backbone for Abu Dhabi's financial transformation that enables businesses across all sectors to scale with confidence,” she said.
Al Hamadi highlighted the advantage of Abu Dhabi’s existing financial foundation, noting that the emirate operates under international-grade regulations based on English common law.
This gives incoming firms clarity and a stable base on which to build modern financial products, Al Hamadi noted.
ADIO’s role, she added, is to connect international companies with local institutions, regulators and academic partners so they can understand the market and integrate smoothly into the ecosystem.
“ADIO is the gate to Abu Dhabi,” she said. “When international players come here to grow or expand, they start from Abu Dhabi.”
