Financial Center News #111

📌 Breaking news from our member Kigali International Financial Centre (KIFC).

After years of remarkable work and dedication from Nick Barigye, a new chapter begins. Today, the world of finance welcomes Hortense Mudenge as the new CEO of Kigali International Financial Centre.

Hortense is no stranger to excellence as she has already demonstrated her vision and leadership in the past, and we are confident she will take #KIFC to even greater heights. We wish her all the best in this new role and look forward to continuing the journey together.

We also want to extend our heartfelt thanks and congratulations to Nick Barigye for his leadership, integrity, and unwavering commitment within the World Alliance of International Financial Centers (WAIFC). Wishing you continued success in this next chapter.

Transparency. Trust. Accountability.

These pillars form the foundation of a resilient financial ecosystem — and they're front and center in ADGM's Registration Authority (RA) 2024 Audit Monitoring Report.

This year's report highlights key findings on audit quality, the evolving standards shaping corporate reporting, and our commitment to safeguarding the public interest within ADGM's financial center.

Ready to see how audit oversight is strengthening Abu Dhabi's financial future? Dive into the full report now and discover how we're raising the bar for transparency and trust.

🔗 Read here: https://lnkd.in/dFtBkV7s

The Astana Finance Days 2025 forum will bring together over 5,000 participants, including experts, investors, government representatives, and business leaders from more than 70 countries, to explore the future of finance, technology, and regulation.

This year's theme "Where Capital Empowers the Future" highlights the dual meaning of capital: Astana as Kazakhstan's capital a growing financial hub connecting East and West and critical forms of capital that drive sustainable growth.

📅 4-5 September 2025 📍 Astana, Kazakhstan 🌍 5,000+ participants | 150+ speakers | 70+ countries 🔗 Registration: astanafindays.org

Common law 🆚 Civil law

What's driving global finance?

From London to Casablanca, Doha to Dubai, #President #MyonghoRhee of BFC completed a global finance trip connecting with the partners.

🌍 Key engagements included: TheCityUK Z/Yen Group Limited UNDP Financial Centres for Sustainability (FC4S) Casablanca Finance City Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (QFCRA) DIFC DIFC Innovation Hub

A central discussion theme?

Exploring legal systems not as a binary choice but as a spectrum of integration. While #commonlaw isn't a universal formula for financial hub success, it offers global investors familiarity and smoother cross-border alignment.

Deep thanks to all the partners who joined the conversation and shared valuable insights with BFC

📌 Mark your calendars: World Alliance of International Financial Centers (WAIFC) Annual General Meeting, Busan 2026

📆 Save the Date

Casablanca Finance City, in partnership with the Financial Times, is pleased to announce the 1st edition of the Casablanca Business Forum on September 19, 2025, at the Four Seasons Casablanca.

Under the theme "Positioning Africa's companies for growth in a changing global economy", this high-level event will bring together public decision-makers, investors, business leaders, and international experts.

The Casablanca Business Forum is held with the support of the Région Casablanca - Settat.

More details to follow in the coming days — stay connected!

#DIFC has enacted amendments to select legislation through the DIFC Laws Amendment Law, ensuring greater clarity and alignment with international best practice.

Key updates include amendments to the Data Protection Law, introducing a Private Right of Action for data subjects via the DIFC Courts, as well as clarifications to the Law of Security, Insolvency Law, and Employment Law. The amendments came into effect on 15 July 2025.

Read more: https://lnkd.in/dECFar8S

Mr. Abhijeet Sibartee is an artist photographer whose passion for photography began during his school years. Over time, he refined his style, expanded his skill set, and found his creative voice.

His turning point came in 2018 during a visit to his grandmother's village in India. There, he was struck by the raw beauty of rural life-its culture, simplicity, and people which now deeply influence his artwork.

In 2022, he held his first solo exhibition at the Caudan Art Center and has since contributed to several creative projects. He credits the Economic Development Board for its support of the local art scene, providing vital platforms for artists, painters, and photographers to showcase their work.

The #edbartgallery is open to visitors from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday 👉 A catalogue of the artworks is also available at https://lnkd.in/g8HMw6F2

African tech startups secured $1.12 billion in funding. Guess how much Nigeria secured?

Nearly 30% of Africa's total.

What fueled this rise?

Click the link to find out: https://lnkd.in/dSkK9Nfx

++FM 18th Annual Conference – Special Address++

🎙️ Hon. Clyde Caruana, Minister of Finance

Buy tickets 👉 https://lnkd.in/eKsEDY4G

We're honored to welcome Hon. Clyde Caruana to the FinanceMalta 18th Annual Conference, where he will deliver a keynote address. Join us for key insights from one of Malta's top figures shaping national financial policy.

📢 As part of its continued efforts to develop national talent in the insurance sector ➡️ The #FSA kicks off this week one of the globally recognized Cert CII programs, in collaboration with FIFE 📚🌍

🏆 Futury will be Startup Factory – a strong signal for Rhine-Main as a location for innovation!

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy has recognized Futury as one of Germany's leading industry-driven startup ecosystems as part of the EXIST lighthouse competition.

Futury brings together what is crucial for successful spin-offs: cutting-edge research, entrepreneurial thinking, access to capital and strong partnerships with companies.

With the support of 29 corporate partners, four universities and up to 20 million euros in funding in the future, a new start-up engine for Germany is being created – with Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main region at the centre.

Goal: 1,000 knowledge-based startups by 2030!

We congratulate them warmly – and look forward to the next chapters of this groundbreaking development for the site.

Read more here: https://frankfurt-main-finance.com/en/futury-wins-exist-lighthouse-competition-startup-factories-of-the-bmwi/

Driving Payment Innovation – UK–Poland Dialogue

Recently, we met at the British Embassy Warsaw to discuss the future of payments and new UK–Poland fintech opportunities.

Thank you to everyone who joined, contributed and stayed engaged — the truly British weather only added to the atmosphere.

Special thanks to Jen Tyldesley, who opened the event and welcomed our guests, and to our CEO, Pawel Widawski, who gave a presentation setting the scene for an inspiring discussion on payments, regulation and innovation.

There's clear demand for more meetings like this in Warsaw — more to come!

FSDC Releases 2024/25 Annual Report: Advancing Hong Kong's Competitiveness as a Leading #IFC

Today, the #FSDC announced the release of its 2024/25 Annual Report.

FSDC Chairman Mr Benjamin Hung, Vice Chairpersons Ms Chen DING, Mr Daniel Fung, Mr Andrew Weir, and Executive Director Dr King Au for shared insights into the global financial shifts reshaping markets and Hong Kong's pivotal role.

Mr Hung emphasized that Hong Kong's unique strategic position, deep connectivity with Mainland China, and robust market foundations offer unparalleled opportunities to lead in #CapitalMarkets, #DigitalTransformation, and #RiskManagement —solidifying its role as a global financial hub.

FSDC published 7 policy research reports on priorities such as #SustainableFinance, #FinTech, and #ImpactInvesting, representing a 73% implementation rate of 266 policy recommendations since 2013. It also strengthened partnerships with key markets such as #ASEAN and the #MiddleEast, underscoring our impact on Hong Kong's financial ecosystem.

Looking ahead, the FSDC remains committed to driving industry development through policy innovation, global collaboration and talent development to reinforce Hong Kong's position as a leading international financial center.

📄 Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/gZiKEKVv 📄 One-pager: https://lnkd.in/gmvfGu7Y 📄 Press Release: https://lnkd.in/gqBwGNcH

Strong tomorrows are built with deep-rooted values. Halkbank carries its vision to the future in the Istanbul Financial Center with its structure that supports entrepreneurship and sustainable development.

After 6 years of impactful leadership at KIFC, our CEO Nick Barigye has been appointed Group CEO at Crystal Ventures Limited. Thank you, Nick, for your exceptional service!

Hortense Mudenge, our Chief Strategy Officer, will step in as Acting CEO to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

Before the summer vacations, be sure to save the Date for our upcoming Focus On Risk and Compliance livestream. From navigating geopolitical tensions to confronting the next generation of compliance challenges and managing operational risk in an increasingly interconnected world our upcoming event will bring together leading voices to explore what's next.

Stay tuned for speaker information and more.

Register below: http://bit.ly/4lXfUbP

Swipe left to catch the key economic shifts you might have missed in June. ⬅️👆

We've summarized the main updates from global and local markets, all in one place.

📥 Read the full QFC report: https://lnkd.in/dt66bsct

When start-ups are already established in the market and are in later growth phases, an IPO often takes place. But what exactly is that? 🧐 We have summarized 😎 it for you

We were delighted to play our part in creating a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Government of Ukraine and representatives of six global insurance companies: Aon, Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, Marsh McLennan, McGill and Partners, MS Amlin, and WTW at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome this week.

This MOU builds on the strong first year of work by the Ukraine Development Platform's Business Advisory Council (BAC), with Bruce Carnegie-Brown, the UK's BAC representative, taking the lead in convening the insurance sector.

We are proud to support the Government of Ukraine in advancing this work through 'The City-Ukraine Hub'. We look forward to intensive collaboration in the months ahead to unlock the insurance sector for the benefit of Ukraine's economic recovery.

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