Abu Dhabi Finance Week will hold about half of its sessions behind closed doors this year, as organisers seek to encourage more candid discussions among global financial leaders and generate tangible business outcomes.
The event to be held from December 7 to 10 is expected to draw more than 40,000 attendees, including 8,000 senior executives, with financial leaders representing about $70 trillion in assets under management.
Chris Hughes, editor-in-chief of ADFW, said private meetings enable senior executives to exchange information more openly than on public stages, potentially influencing investment decisions and corporate strategies.
"I find that when they are in the private rooms there's a little bit more openness, a little bit more dialogue," he told ADGM's Global Media Forum on Tuesday.
"It's not just monologue, it's dialogue," he added, which is physically represented by attendees and speakers alike being seated face-to-face rather than shoulder-to-shoulder.
The shift towards invitation-only discussions, he said, reflects growing demand among executives for meetings that deliver practical outcomes rather than simply provide networking opportunities or public exposure.
ADFW recorded 82 memorandums of understanding and partnerships in 2025, according to the organiser, Abu Dhabi’s financial centre ADGM, which was almost double the 44 agreements and announcements in 2024.
The agreements involved major financial institutions and businesses including BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, Mubadala, Mastercard and Swiss Re.
While the figures demonstrate the event's growing role as a platform for forging partnerships, ADGM has not disclosed how many resulted directly from private meetings or their combined monetary value.
From dialogue to deals
Private meetings could allow investors, regulators and executives to discuss commercially sensitive issues, identify investment opportunities and advance potential transactions without the scrutiny of a public audience.
Mr Hughes referred to a closed-door leadership meeting involving the International Monetary Fund during last year's ADFW, attended by chief executives of major financial institutions.
He recalled watching senior executives take handwritten notes throughout the discussions, which suggested that information exchanged in such settings could influence decisions within large organisations that aren't directly seen, but have major implications.
"That extra grain of information they didn't usually have, that can change the economy of... a city or town, or company, or country, just by a tiny little 0.1 degree."
The growing emphasis on private engagement comes as Abu Dhabi attracts more international financial institutions.
Fourteen global financial firms managing more than $5 trillion announced plans to establish a presence in ADGM during the first half of this year, according to figures disclosed by ADGM chairman Ahmed Al Zaabi this week.
ADFW is also expected to host more than 80 events and 400 content sessions this year, compared with more than 70 events and 350 sessions in 2025, according to organisers' projections.
The preparations come amid regional uncertainty as the Iran war continues to disrupt business activity, energy markets and travel across the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia this week postponed its flagship Future Investment Initiative conference, originally scheduled for October 26 to 29 in Riyadh, until 2027, after a series of missile and drone attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The attacks, including strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, have raised security concerns among international executives and investors.
Asked about contingency plans for ADFW amid the regional tension, Mr Hughes expressed confidence in Abu Dhabi's security and preparations to welcome international delegates in December.
"I live in Abu Dhabi. I speak for Abu Dhabi," he said, adding that organisers remained in contact with the leadership over any developments.