Financial Center News #174

The Heads of State of two of our members, the Astana International Financial Center and the IFC Oman, met at AIFC in Astana this week. The visit again shows that financial centers matter and underscores our previous work on the impact of financial centers. The two financial centers plan more collaboration, including a joint investment fund, which is excellent news.

We heard more from Al Hussain Qalhati about IFC Oman’s plans in his interview with the World Alliance. He stressed that the immediate priority is building IFC Oman's institutional foundations so licensing operations can begin in early 2027. IFC Oman aims to leverage the country’s position at the crossroads of continents to attract global opportunity and create lasting value for Oman.

🌍 Our recent interview with Al Hussain Qalhati, Director at International Financial Centre of Oman 🇴🇲

Following International Financial Centre of Oman’s recent admission to the World Alliance of International Financial Centers (WAIFC), we had the pleasure of speaking with Al Hussain Qalhati about the financial center’s vision, ambitions, and priorities.

💬 In this interview, he shares his perspective on IFC Oman’s role within the World Alliance network, the value of international collaboration, and Oman’s ambitions as an emerging global financial hub.

🤝 We are delighted to welcome IFC Oman to our growing international community and look forward to strengthening cooperation and creating new opportunities across financial centers worldwide.

📲 Read the full interview: https://lnkd.in/gpzTq9bU

A morning well spent!

Our Consumer Protection team sat down with retailers operating within ADGM for a closer look at what consumer protection looks like in practice.

From regulations, retailer obligations and common complaint trends to data protection, permits, enforcement and employment compliance, the session gave retailers a clear picture of what's expected and a chance to put questions directly to the regulators.

Didn't catch it this time? Watch the highlights!

On 6 October, the Astana International Financial Centre had the honour of welcoming President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tarik Al Said.

AIFC Governor Renat Bekturov, CFA presented the Heads of State with the Centre’s achievements and highlighted the AIFC’s role in strengthening investment and economic ties between Kazakhstan and Oman.

The guests were also welcomed by AIDA, the AIFC’s intelligent assistant, who shared an overview of the Centre’s activities and its digital services.

Digital transformation remains a key focus for the AIFC. In 2026, the Centre delivered more than 50 digital projects and brought together over 60 services within a single digital ecosystem. AI-powered solutions are also being introduced across internal operations, client services and regulatory processes.

A $150 million joint investment fund is also planned to be established at the AIFC by the end of the year, with Samruk-Kazyna JSC and the Oman Investment Authority contributing equally. The two parties have signed an agreement to establish the fund.

Among these solutions, the AIFC Court and International Arbitration Centre use AI-powered real-time transcription for hearings, while fintech companies can test new solutions through the FinTech Lab regulatory sandbox.

Oman is also working to establish its own international financial centre, opening up new opportunities for knowledge-sharing and cooperation between our two financial centres.

Looking ahead, Kazakhstan and Oman have strong potential to deepen cooperation in financial and regulatory areas and expand mutual access to capital markets.

As we look back on our time at STEP LatAm in São Paulo, Brazil, we are so grateful for the opportunity to connect with regional peers and industry leaders from across Latin America.

In partnership with the Ministry of Economic Affairs Bahamas, we facilitated important conversations on succession planning, governance, wealth preservation and the evolving needs of internationally mobile families.

We extend our sincere thanks to our Brazilian hosts, the Bahamian delegation, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the STEP LatAm Conference organisers for helping to make these conversations possible.

Our time in São Paulo reaffirmed the value of strong regional partnerships and The Bahamas’ commitment to serving as a trusted partner in global financial services.

Today at the Casablanca Business Forum 2026, our second panel tackled "Africa in the global competition for capital". Moderated by Manal Bernoussi, panellists Élisabeth Moreno, Didier Acouetey, Dr. Vera Songwe, and Wolfgang Engel examined how to unlock capital in an increasingly competitive environment.

Capturing the core of the debate, Wolfgang Engel stressed that "capital needs confidence," while Elisabeth Moreno highlighted that "the continent is an open-air laboratory for 21st-century challenges."

Together, they shared actionable strategies to lower risk perceptions and turn local potential into globally attractive investments.

As Chair of the Dubai Sustainable Finance Working Group, #DIFC hosted the 14th Clean Energy Business Council MENA (CEBC) Annual Summit, bringing together government leaders, investors, financiers and industry experts to advance dialogue on the future of energy and sustainability across the region.

Discussions explored priorities including climate finance, industrial decarbonisation, water and energy security, circularity and the evolving demands shaping MENA’s energy landscape.

Today, we hosted Tammy Reynolds, Director for Growth, Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO UK), and other representatives from the FCDO.

The FCDO has worked closely with us on the Lagos International Financial Centre (LIFC) journey, providing technical support from its earliest days. Today was a chance to show how far we have come together, and how Nigeria's public and private sectors are working side by side to build a globally competitive financial centre.

We also looked ahead: at the priorities now emerging, and the areas where we will keep working together to strengthen Nigeria's financial ecosystem.

Partnerships like this are built on trust, patience and shared ambition.

LIFC is coming.

Yesterday, FinanceMalta participated in The TON’s Cotswolds Gathering, an exclusive private event bringing together leaders and entrepreneurs from the international family office, business and finance communities.

FinanceMalta was represented by Glen Mifsud, CFA, and Joseph Camilleri from Rigsave Capital, Przemyslaw Koger (PK) from Alter Domus (Malta) and Shawn Galea, CPA from Taxentra Limited. Representatives from PwC Malta and the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) were also present.

The gathering at Heritage House, Daylesford offered a valuable opportunity to connect with international family offices, investors, entrepreneurs and financial services professionals, while strengthening Malta’s international relationships.

Thank you to Seig de Vater and The TON's team for their warm hospitality.

Four towers, a new urban district, and Germany’s tallest office floor! 🏙️

In this installment of our “Skyline Stories” video series, we’re heading to the FOUR—more specifically, to the 233-meter-tall T1, the headquarters of DekaBank.

Lisa and Maximilian take us behind the scenes at the Sparkassen’s securities firm and show us how the worlds of finance, art, and architecture come together here.

🏙️ What makes the FOUR a vertical urban district?

📈 What does Deka’s modern trading floor look like?

🖼️ What’s the story behind the art installation “Wolken” (2024) by artist Nevin Aladağ?

🎥 Enjoy the next glimpse behind the facade of Frankfurt’s skyline!

🤖 Fraud is getting faster, smarter and harder to spot. Can detection keep up? That's what we'll discuss at the Future Finance Summit in the panel "Technology Against Financial Crime: Smarter Monitoring, Better Detection and Stronger Trust".

On the stage:

🎤 Keiron Dalton - Digital Security Director, Vonage

🎤 Maciej Jamiołkowski - Business Development Director, LexisNexis Risk Solutions

🎤 Marta Łąpieś - Regional Sales Manager, Cleafy

🎤 Ewa Czarnecka - CEO, Axendi

Moderated by Alexandre Pinot, CAMS - Co-founder, AMLYZE

Expect a practical conversation about network and behavioural signals, real-time detection, and how institutions can work together to stay one step ahead of fraudsters.

Secure your spot at the event and don’t wait until the last minute 👉 https://lnkd.in/dHhqC2ae

📅 Future Finance Summit | 4 November 2026 | 15:05–15:40, Trend House

📍 CIC Warsaw

Part of Warsaw Finance Week | 3–5 November

Discuss. Connect. Act.

Jersey Finance is pleased to be sponsoring the AYU Family Office Summit London 2026 on Thursday 8 October.

Bringing together family offices and investment professionals, the Summit will provide an opportunity to connect, exchange perspectives and explore some of the key themes shaping the global family office landscape.

Robert Moore TEP, Director – UK, Jersey Finance, will be speaking at the event and looks forward to connecting with industry professionals throughout the day.

Find out more about the Summit: https://ow.ly/PJp450ZVfRH

Join us this evening for Investing in Rwanda and East Africa’s Future: Identifying Promising Investment Opportunities.

Hear from:

• Ronah Patricia Uwantegye, Senior Manager, Business Development & Investor Relations, Kigali International Financial Centre (KIFC)

• Pacific Tuyishime, JD, CFA, Managing Director, BK Capital Ltd

• Hugues M. Kayigamba, Group Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Development, BK Group PLC, Moderator

Together, they will explore Rwanda and East Africa’s evolving investment landscape, promising opportunities across sectors, and the key risks and considerations investors should assess before putting capital to work.

📅 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

Assets under management in Luxembourg-domiciled investment funds have surpassed €9 trillion as of June 2026, according to ALFI - Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry. Covering both UCITS and alternative investment funds, total AuM has grown around €1.5 trillion, over the past 12 months, underscoring the continued attraction of Luxembourg-domiciled funds to global investors.

Our Deputy Director-Marketing and Communications, Rose Tinderet MCIM, represented the CEO at the Venture Capital World Summit ©, Nairobi held this week at The Promenade.

In delivering the CEO’s opening address, She highlighted the importance of building an ecosystem that connects African entrepreneurs with global and domestic pools of capital, while strengthening investor confidence, fund domiciliation, investment readiness and credible pathways to exit.

The Summit provided an important platform for investors, fund managers, entrepreneurs and ecosystem partners to explore practical pathways for connecting startups with global pools of capital and supporting the next generation of African enterprises. It also featured an entrepreneur pitching session, giving startups an opportunity to showcase their businesses and engage directly with potential investors. An important step towards building a stronger pipeline of investment-ready enterprises.

She reaffirmed our ambition to position Nairobi as Africa’s Capital of Capital. A dynamic gateway where global capital meets African opportunity, businesses scale, capital is structured and deployed, innovation thrives and funds are domiciled.

We are supporting this ecosystem through initiatives and incentives designed to help startups establish, grow and scale. Learn more at nifca.go.ke

A special appreciation to Sema Kula and Venture Capital World Summit © for hosting such a timely and impactful event.

Collins Mwangi Andreas Grenacher Pranay Shrivastava Patrick Ndambuki

A more connected journey for QFC firms. 🤝

QFC has integrated its firm data directly with Qatar Development Bank’s Reyada platform, making it easier for QFC firms to access the services and support available across the wider QDB ecosystem.

Through the integration, QFC firms using Reyada will have their company information automatically recognised, eliminating the need to re-enter existing details and creating a faster, more seamless experience.

The integration also provides QFC firms with easier access to financing, advisory and business growth resources available through Reyada - further strengthening the support available to businesses as they grow and scale.

Learn more at reyada.qdb.qa

We've had a busy few days at The Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, where there was a strong focus on growth, investment and UK competitiveness.

We hosted our member dinner, in partnership with Standard Life plc, with Rt Hon John Glen MP and Emad Aladhal, Director of Retail Banking at the Financial Conduct Authority delivery insightful speeches. We supported the flagship 1922 Committee reception, where our CEO Miles Celic OBE spoke alongside Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP, the Leader of the Conservative Party and Bob Blackman CBE MP, Chair of the 1922 Committee. Both events were fantastic opportunities to bring members and senior policymakers together to discuss the critical role of the financial and related professional services industry in driving growth.

Our fringe event with ConservativeHome brought together Mark Garnier OBE MP, Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Emad Aladhal, Phillippa O'Connor, Chief People Officer, PwC and Miles Celic OBE to discuss how the industry can strengthen UK competitiveness with much discussion and insight drawn on from our 'No time to lose' report.

We also partnered with Lloyds Banking Group for a discussion on AI in financial services, where Miles was joined by Mark Garnier OBE MP, Dame Harriett Baldwin MP and James Challinor, Head of Financial Services at techUK.

We were also pleased to support a range of events and discussions with our partners including the City of London Corporation, Standard Life plc and BlackRock. Miles was also pleased to join Rt Hon Sir Greg Hands, Antony Manchester from Blackrock and Catherine McBride OBE at the Conservatives in the City’s 'Making Britain Investible' fringe event, chaired by Ed McGuinness, CFA.

Across the programme, our message was clear: a competitive financial and related professional services industry is critical to attracting investment, supporting innovation and delivering growth across the UK.

Thank you to our members, partners and speakers who joined us in Birmingham.