Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
The third ADGM Global Media Forum, held on October 21-22, 2026, brought together international journalists and experts to highlight Abu Dhabi’s economic growth, investment opportunities, innovation and position as a global financial hub.
The second day of the forum highlighted Abu Dhabi’s economic growth, investment opportunities and expanding digital economy, with discussions exploring innovation, entrepreneurship and the emirate’s growing position as a global business hub.
Opening the day's discussions, Mohamed Al Mheiri, Chief Communications Officer at ADGM, highlighted Abu Dhabi’s openness, cultural diversity and commitment to preserving national identity.
“We believe in people, their potential, their ideas and what they can achieve. And we believe in being open to the world,” he said, emphasising the contributions of people from different backgrounds to Abu Dhabi’s development.
Reflecting on the importance of cultural diversity and identity, he added: “I want my children to grow up around different beliefs, different ideas and different cultures. But I also want them to be proud of who they are, their own culture and their own heritage and where they come from.”
“This is what makes the UAE strong as a nation. Our openness and the people who are all here today.”
On the sidelines of the ADGM Global Media Forum, Aletihad spoke to experts about Abu Dhabi’s investment opportunities, innovation and economic growth.
Eid Alobeidli, Head of Partnerships, Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), highlighted Abu Dhabi’s investment advantages, including regulatory clarity, access to capital, world-class infrastructure and international connectivity, alongside opportunities across emerging and established industries.
He pointed to the emirate’s investment fundamentals, including regulatory clarity, access to capital, world-class infrastructure, and the international network that Abu Dhabi provides.
Discussing sector-specific opportunities, he added: “Today, the opportunities are coming in different and wider range of sectors, such as financial services, life sciences, autonomous mobility, and food and water.”
El Mehdi Abdat, Chief of Staff, VentureOne, highlighted Abu Dhabi’s ambition to become a global centre for technological innovation, supported by infrastructure, investment capital and testing environments that help companies develop and commercialise new technologies.
“I think what makes Abu Dhabi a great place to innovate and scale companies is, first, the vision to make Abu Dhabi a home for technologies and export them,” he said.
He identified infrastructure and capital as another key strength supporting innovation and growth.
He also emphasised the importance of real-world testing opportunities, saying: “Third, it is the sandbox, having test beds within government and large corporations to take technologies to market.”
Al Mheiri also highlighted the forum’s role in promoting Abu Dhabi as a global business hub, noting that it had “invited more than 30 journalists from around the world” to discover “the ecosystem behind the emergence of Abu Dhabi as a global hub for finance and business.”
