Financial Center News #173

Talent development is a crucial topic for financial centers. Future Finance Poland brought together young people with Polish roots studying and building their careers abroad for a roundtable to discuss how Poland can better connect global talent, academia, and business.

At the same time, Alya Al Zarouni, COO at the DIFC Authority and a World Alliance Board member, explores how talent and continuous learning are shaping the future of international financial centers. In her article, which is definitely worth reading, she describes how DIFC is building its ecosystem of more than 50,000 professionals.

At the World Alliance, we covered best practices in talent development in a groundbreaking report last year, which remains highly relevant for financial centers worldwide.

Pantheon today announced the expansion of its presence in the Middle East with the opening of its first office in ADGM, the international financial center based in Abu Dhabi, alongside the appointment of Firas Mallah as Managing Director and Head of Middle East.

Over nearly two decades, Pantheon has built relationships with a broad and diverse range of investors across every GCC country, and a dedicated office in Abu Dhabi is the natural next step in enhancing and deepening those relationships and strengthening the firm's presence in the region. The new office extends Pantheon's global footprint to 13 locations across four continents and reflects the firm's strategic conviction in the Middle East.

Florence Dard, Chief Client Officer of Pantheon, said: "Off the back of a record fundraising year, Pantheon continues to see increasing capital formation across the platform, with a growing share coming from the GCC. With this office, Pantheon reaffirms its commitment to the region and to enhancing and deepening the relationships we have built with clients across every Gulf country for nearly two decades. We are particularly pleased to welcome Firas Mallah to the team - his track record raising capital from a broad range of investors speaks for itself, and his appointment strengthens our ability to serve clients across the Middle East directly.”

Firas Mallah, Managing Director and Head of Middle East at Pantheon, added: "The Middle East is one of the fastest-growing sources of capital in private markets, and investors here are increasingly sophisticated about how they want exposure to the asset class. Pantheon’s reputation as a global leader in secondaries and innovation in private markets solutions closely matches investor demand, and I’m excited to bring the firm’s private markets expertise to investors across the region. Establishing our presence in ADGM reflects our strong commitment to the region as we deepen our long-term engagement across the wider GCC."

Arvind Ramamurthy, Chief Market Development Officer at ADGM, said: “We are pleased to welcome Pantheon to ADGM's growing ecosystem. The firm's decision to establish its Middle East presence in Abu Dhabi reflects the continued appeal of ADGM as a destination for leading global private markets firms seeking to deepen their engagement with the region's sophisticated institutional investor base. Pantheon's extensive experience across private equity, infrastructure and private credit will add further depth to our investment management community, and we look forward to supporting the firm's growth in Abu Dhabi and across the wider region.”

Read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/eEWD_nTK

Legal and regulatory disclosure: https://lnkd.in/eahSMD-A

AIFC (Astana International Financial Centre) continues to strengthen the financial, legal and regulatory framework supporting the development of aviation in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, including fleet modernisation, aviation finance and long-term sector resilience. This agenda was highlighted during the 18th Meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization European Region Search and Rescue Task Force (EUR SAR TF/18) in #Astana.

AIFC supported the Civil Aviation Committee (CAA) - Kazakhstan Aviation Committee of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan in organising and hosting the meeting, which brought together representatives of ICAO Member States from Europe and Southeast Asia, international organisations and industry stakeholders.

The discussions focused on strengthening regional search and rescue capabilities, aviation personnel training, regulatory oversight and joint exercises, with particular attention to improving operational readiness and aviation safety across the region.

Delivering welcoming remarks on behalf of AIFC, Zhanbolat Kakishev BEng, MBA, MPA Kakishev, Chief Product Officer of AIFC, emphasised the importance of robust legal, financial and regulatory frameworks in supporting sustainable aviation development across Central Asia.

Assel Bagissova, Head of the AIFC Aviation Finance Hub, presented the development of the aviation finance ecosystem in Kazakhstan and the wider region. She highlighted the role of the AIFC jurisdiction in enabling modern leasing structures, aviation financing and structured investment solutions that can support fleet modernisation and strengthen operational capacity.

Beyond access to capital, sustainable aviation development requires strong institutional foundations. AIFC continues to develop the necessary “soft infrastructure”, specialised legal frameworks, tax incentives and financial instruments, to support investment, fleet expansion and the long-term development of the sector.

AIFC extends its appreciation to the Civil Aviation Committee, the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan, ICAO Regional Director for Europe and the North Atlantic Nicolas Rallo, and the ICAO EUR/NAT Office for their continued contribution to advancing international aviation standards and strengthening regional cooperation.

The Bahamas Essentials 🇧🇸

How does a premier financial jurisdiction turn the global shift toward regulatory compliance into a distinct competitive advantage?

Speaking at our Bahamas Global Wealth Summit earlier this year, Nia Rolle-Campbell of Graham Thompson provided insights into navigating the evolving relationship between traditional confidentiality and transparency.

"What The Bahamas is doing is essentially using transparency, using robust legislation around all these regulatory developments in order to achieve a competitive advantage."

We are looking forward to exploring this theme further in our next Global Wealth Journal.

Watch Nia's full interview for more perspectives on regulatory evolution and competitive strategy below.

𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗡+𝟯 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Busan Finance Center is proud to host the 47th ASEAN+3 Bond Market Forum (ABMF) Meeting and Other Events in #Busan.

Under the theme “Building a Sustainable Blue City,” this hybrid event will be held from 2 to 6 November 2026 at the Busan International Finance Center (BIFC).

During the Busan City Session on 2 November, we are gathering regional policymakers and industry leaders to explore crucial frontiers in finance:

🚢 Maritime Sector Financing

🌊 Rapid Growth of Blue Bonds

🧊 Transformative Logistics Potential of the Northern Sea Route

This event is co-organized by the Busan Finance Center (BFC), BNK 부산은행, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and sponsored by Busan Metropolitan City.

📩 For registration and inquiries: contact euna@kbfc.or.kr Euna Kim

In a world shaped by geopolitical tensions and shifting value chains, Africa is emerging as a strategic economic powerhouse.

Join us this Friday for the opening panel of the second edition of the Casablanca Business Forum. We will explore how the continent can turn these global disruptions into long-term drivers of economic sovereignty and competitiveness. While in-person attendance in Casablanca is by invitation only, our global community is invited to register for the exclusive online livestream this Friday.

Register here: https://lnkd.in/eFW_TJ9k

The strength of a financial centre lies not only in the institutions it attracts, but in its ability to develop and retain the expertise that drives long-term growth. As finance increasingly converges with technology, data and AI, future-ready talent is becoming ever more important.

Alya Al Zarouni, Chief Operating Officer at DIFC Authority, explores how talent and continuous learning are shaping the future of global financial centres, and how DIFC is building on an ecosystem of more than 50,200 professionals across over 10,000 registered companies.

Read the full article to learn more: https://lnkd.in/dCUUbYjX

The Voices of EnterpriseNGR: Sonnie Ayere - Celebrating Leadership and Impact

Behind every thriving institution is a leader whose vision, resilience, and sense of purpose continue to drive transformation and growth.

For more than three decades, Sonnie Babatunde Ayere has built his career spanning banking, corporate finance and capital markets. His extensive experience across leading local and International financial institutions eventually led to the founding of DLM Capital Group, where he serves today as Group Chief Executive Officer.

His career has also been closely connected to the development of Nigeria’s bond and capital markets. More recently, he led the development of DLM’s Sovereign Bond-Backed Composite Notes, a financing structure that brings together sovereign and real-sector cash flows.

From his early years in global financial institutions to building DLM in Nigeria, Sonnie Ayere’s journey reflects a career closely connected to the growth and development of the financial services sector.

As we spotlight his journey and impact, we also extend our warm wishes to Sonnie Ayere on his birthday and wish him a fulfilling year ahead.

🇲🇹 FinanceMalta in Budapest 🇭🇺

On 23–24 September 2026, FinanceMalta was pleased to be in Budapest for 0100 Emerging Europe 2026, connecting with investors, fund managers and financial services professionals from across the region.

Our delegation, comprising of Joseph Camilleri as a Governor of FinanceMalta, Anabel Mifsud from Fexserv Fund Services Ltd, Marina Grech from Ganado Advocates, Andrew Caruana Scicluna and Michael Buhagiar from Camilleri Preziosi Advocates, Domenic Azzopardi from Alter Domus Malta, Elaine Bonnici and Rebecca Xuereb from AQA Capital Ltd, Mario Buttigieg from Fiduscorp, Stephen Gauci Baluci from CC Fund Services, Omar Zerafa from Zerafa Advocates and Aronne Debono from BOV Fund Services Limited, made the most of the event through a series of meetings, networking opportunities and valuable exchanges with international counterparts.

A particular highlight was Andrew Caruana Scicluna from Camilleri Preziosi, who moderated the panel:

“Local Edge vs Global Scale: Where LPs Find Advantage in Emerging Europe”

The panel brought together diverse perspectives on the opportunities, trends and considerations shaping investment across Emerging Europe, with valuable insights into the evolving landscape and the role of local expertise in driving investment opportunities.

Thank you to Zero One Hundred Conferences for bringing together such a dynamic community and for the opportunity to showcase Malta’s financial services ecosystem, exchange perspectives, and strengthen connections with the wider international investment community.

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱: 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗼𝗻𝗴’𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝘂𝗯 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻

#FSDC co-organised the FSTB–FSDC Gold Industry Roundtable with the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB), bringing together senior representatives from over 50 institutions across the gold value chain — spanning mining, refining, logistics, jewellery, banking, insurance, securities, trading, investment, legal and beyond — to exchange views on developing Hong Kong as an international gold trading hub.

By uniting diverse perspectives, the Roundtable set the stage for deeper industry collaboration and the continued growth of a world-class gold market in Hong Kong.

We were honoured to welcome Mr Christopher Hui, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury and Mr Joseph HL Chan, Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, with the discussion facilitated by Dr Rocky Tung, Executive Director, FSDC.

FSDC remains focused on enabling meaningful exchanges that drive industry development. We thank all participants for their insights and look forward to continued collaboration in supporting the growth of Hong Kong’s gold market.

#FinanceMatters | What shaped Frankfurt’s financial centre this September?

🔹 Frankfurt Goes Busan: Frankfurt Main Finance joined the World Alliance of International Financial Centers (WAIFC) Annual General Meeting in Busan, South Korea.

🔹 European Autonomy: Oliver Behrens, President of Frankfurt Main Finance, wrote a guest article for Börsen-Zeitung, analyzing how the financial hub's regulatory ecosystem contributes to European autonomy.

🔹 Skyline Stories: The new video series offers new behind-the-scenes views of Frankfurt’s iconic towers. The third episode features DekaBank's T1 of the new FOUR Frankfurt ensemble.

🔹 GFCI 40: In the latest edition of the Global Financial Centres Index, Frankfurt loses marginally in absolute terms but drops from rank 15 to 29. Hubertus Väth, Managing Director of Frankfurt Main Finance, comments on the results.

📩 Stay informed about Frankfurt’s financial ecosystem and subscribe to our newsletter Finance Matters: https://lnkd.in/eUDisvuj

💫 This morning, Future Finance Poland brought together young people with Polish roots studying and building their careers abroad, representatives of universities and business for a roundtable on a question that matters far beyond education:

🔸How can Poland better connect global talent, academia and business – and turn this potential into real opportunities?🔸 The discussion “From University to Business: What Can Poland Learn from the World?” showed just how much value can come from putting different generations and perspectives around one table.

We talked about what encourages young talent to build their future in Poland, what still stands in the way, how universities and companies can work together more effectively, and what Poland can learn from international experience.

But what stood out most was the energy in the room. Openness, curiosity, very concrete observations and a genuine willingness to listen to one another – especially to the voices of young people themselves.

These are exactly the conversations we need if we want Poland to attract talent, make better use of international experience and build stronger bridges between education and business.

A huge thank you to all our participants for your time, perspectives and openness, and to Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH) for hosting us at the PAIH Information Centre.

This conversation is definitely worth continuing.

Pawel Widawski Katarzyna Multan Kasia Jedlińska FinTech Poland Wojciech Nowicki Piotr Brewiński

A premier global destination in Istanbul.

With its modern architecture, state-of-the-art technology infrastructure, and workspaces designed to meet the needs of the business world, the Istanbul Finance Center offers organizations a business hub that meets the highest standards.

Apply to secure your place in the IFC ecosystem: https://ifm.gov.tr/basvur

Do you know whether AI is actually creating value for your organisation? 🤖

For the final event in our 2026 Tech Connect AI trilogy, Sam Jeremiah, Founder and CEO of FernAI - AI ROI Measurement, will lead a practical discussion on identifying the AI use cases worth pursuing, measuring their impact and making better-informed investment decisions.

Under Chatham House rule attendees will explore how to establish meaningful baselines, assess the net effect of AI and consider the role of cost, adoption, process change and governance in determining whether AI delivers value in practice.

📅 Wednesday 7 October 2026

🕣 8.30 am - 10.30 am

📍 Celestial Hall North, The Royal Yacht Hotel

👥 Tech Connect is an invite-only forum. If you’re interested in joining, please contact Jonathan Clarke.

Already on the attendee list? Let Sam know you’re coming and what you’d be keen to hear his perspective on in the comments 👇

Speaker Spotlight | World Investor Week 2026 Rwanda Webinar

Meet Ronah Patricia Uwantegye, Senior Manager, Business Development & Investor Relations at the Kigali International Financial Centre (KIFC).

With over eight years of experience across investment management, banking, fintech, and capital markets, Ronah works closely with investors and financial-sector stakeholders to support investment into Rwanda and strengthen its financial ecosystem.

Join Ronah for a discussion on identifying promising investment opportunities in Rwanda and East Africa.

📅 Monday, 5 October 2026

⏰ 5:00–6:30 PM EAT

🔗 Register: https://shorturl.at/mSxcJ

John Okumu, CFA®, CA(SA), Julie Akello, CFA, George Jato Otim, CFA, ACCA, Gilbert Twinamasiko, FCCA, David Mwaura, CFA, Escar Namirembe, CFA, Annamaria Edward, CFA®,MCSI , Fassil Gebretsadik, CFA, Happy Msale CFA, Annette Mumbi, CFA, Ruth Amongin, CPA Grace Njiru, Kaleb Mekonnen Bogale, lucy shantiwa, Jean Bosco Muhire

A decade of the Luxembourg Green Exchange 🌱

Launched in September 2016 in the wake of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Luxembourg Green Exchange (LGX) became the world’s first platform dedicated to green securities.

Ten years later, its growth reflects the increasing role of sustainable finance in global capital markets. LGX now displays more than 2,400 bonds worth a combined €1.3 trillion and holds a 41% share of the global market.

Green bonds have also come a long way: from just 1% of bonds outstanding on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LuxSE) when LGX launched to 11% today.

As LGX marks its 10th anniversary, Luxembourg continues to play a central role in connecting international capital with sustainable investment.

What happens when the people shaping Africa’s future come together?

Ideas are shared. Connections are made. New partnerships emerge. And conversations become action.

From investors and policymakers to financial institutions, development organisations, innovators and change makers, the 2025 AVPA Conference brought the ecosystem together... This is what being part of the conversation looks like! 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿.

Be in the room: www.avpaconference.africa

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝘀 𝗨𝘀.

𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗶𝗱: 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮'𝘀 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁.

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗔𝗩𝗣𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲

9–11 November 2026 | Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town, South Africa

Kagiso Trust (KT) | MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates) | Porticus | Anglo American Foundation | Bayer Foundation | Biovision Foundation | Conrad N. Hilton Foundation | Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation | FirstRand Empowerment Foundation | FSD Africa | Grassroots Business Fund | Impact-Linked Finance Collaborative | Triple I for Global Health | Value For Women Ltd. | 2X Global | A&A Collective | AVCA - The African Private Capital Association | Building Bridges | International Development Innovation Alliance (IDIA) | Meaningful Business | NIFC Africa | Response Innovation Lab | SA Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA) | Vikāra Institute | Devex | ImpactAlpha | Pioneers Post | Philanthropy News Digest | Alliance magazine | Impact Europe | AVPN | Latimpacto

QFC, in collaboration with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, hosted a private executive roundtable in New York titled “Scaling Across the Gulf: Qatar as a Platform for Regional Growth.”

The session brought together senior business leaders for a focused discussion on regional expansion, navigating regulatory environments, accessing capital and structuring operations across the Middle East, with a particular focus on Qatar’s role as a platform for cross-border growth.

Our CEO, Mansoor Al-Khater, shared perspectives alongside U.S. Chamber members and industry leaders on the opportunities shaping the region’s business landscape and the potential for deeper commercial engagement between Qatar and the United States.

The roundtable reflects QFC’s continued efforts to strengthen international business connections and create opportunities for companies looking to grow across Qatar, the Gulf and beyond.

As New York Climate Week draws to a close, the discussions we have had across the week have reinforced the need to focus on implementation, scaling what works and strengthening collaboration.

These themes were reflected in our roundtable on "Mobilising Capital, Expertise and Partnerships for Climate Delivery", held in partnership with KPMG and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.

The roundtable brought participants together to explore how financial and related professional services, policymakers and international institutions can work together to accelerate progress. It also provided an opportunity to outline the Team UK for Sustainable Finance initiative we are leading, which aims to strengthen coordination across the UK's sustainable finance ecosystem, showcase existing initiatives, and highlight how these capabilities can support climate and sustainable finance priorities across markets.

Three key messages stood out:

📈 Capital is available, but we need more investable opportunities to deploy it at scale.

🤝 Partnerships are essential, with public and private sector actors working together across markets and throughout the value chain.

💡 Many of the solutions already exist. The priority is to build on lessons learned, replicate what works and scale proven approaches more quickly.

Thank you to Alex Milward, His Majesty's Trade Commissioner for North America, for opening the discussion, to Shaun Carazzo for chairing and to everyone who joined the discussion and contributed their insights throughout the week.

We recently welcomed members of the French Chamber of Commerce Kenya to TRIFIC for a breakfast session and guided tour exploring the opportunities for international businesses establishing and scaling their operations in Kenya.

The session covered TRIFIC’s SEZ proposition, the benefits of operating from the Zone, and the infrastructure supporting businesses within the wider Two Rivers development.

A special thank you to Othmane CHAOUI, Vice President of the French Chamber of Commerce, for the welcoming remarks; Anthony C. Mburu, General Manager at DPA, for sharing insights on the Two Rivers Power Plant and energy infrastructure; and Mwau Brian, Head of Business Development at TRIFIC, for highlighting the opportunities TRIFIC SEZ offers international businesses.

With TP, a French global leader in digital business services, as one of our anchor tenants, TRIFIC is proud to support French and international businesses using Kenya as a base for regional and global operations.

Thank you to the French Chamber and all participants for an engaging morning and for exploring the opportunities for French businesses within Kenya’s growing services economy.