Asian Financial Forum 2026

Asian Financial Forum 2026: Shaping the Future of Global Finance in a Post-Pandemic World

The Asian Financial Forum (AFF) 2026 returns as the region's flagship event connecting ideas, capital, and opportunities on a global scale. With a renewed focus and expanded agenda, here is everything you need to know about the upcoming summit.

📅 Event Overview

• Edition: 19th Edition
• Dates: 26-27 January 2026 (Monday & Tuesday)
• Venue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC)
• Theme: "Co-creating New Horizons Amid an Evolving Landscape" 
• New Slogan: "Finance Empowering Business" 
• Organisers: Co-organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC)

🎯 Highlights & Objectives

The forum aims to bring together global policymakers, business leaders, and financial experts to examine geopolitical shifts and macroeconomic trends, analyze financial market developments, and identify potential investment opportunities . It seeks to reinforce Hong Kong's role as an international financial centre, a super connector, and a super value-adder .

👥 Scale & Participants

The event is expected to convene more than 3,600 participants from over 60 countries and regions. Since its inception, AFF has featured over 1,000 renowned speakers and welcomed some 60,000 attendees, cementing its status as a premier financial forum in Asia and beyond.

🎤 Core Agenda & Content

The two-day agenda features panel discussions, keynote speeches, thematic luncheons, and breakfast sessions, focusing on key areas including :

• Global Economic Outlook
• Chief Investment Officer (CIO) Insights
• Asset and Wealth Management
• Trade Finance and Supply Chains
• Gold Exchange
• Hot topics such as FinTech, pensions and endowments, and investment outlooks

💡 Inaugural Global Business Summit

The second day (27 January) will feature the debut of the Global Business Summit. Co-organised by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau of the HKSAR Government, HKTDC, and the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, this summit focuses on the deep integration of finance and the real economy.

• Discussion Topics: AI and technology, new consumption trends, biomedicine and healthcare, green energy, and more.
• Core Objective: To explore opportunities for Mainland enterprises going global and facilitate international companies in tapping into the Mainland market, leveraging Hong Kong's international advantages to foster long-term development and cross-border collaboration.

🤝 AFF Deal-making: A Physical Platform for Tangible Cooperation

At the heart of the forum's matchmaking efforts is AFF Deal-making, a global investment-matching platform.

• Collaborator: Co-organised with the Hong Kong Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (HKVCA).
• Track Record: Has connected over 8,000 companies and arranged more than 10,000 meetings.
• 2026 Hybrid Model: A hybrid format combining in-person and online elements. Physical meetings will be held on 26-27 January, followed by two additional days of virtual meetings up to 29 January, facilitating continuous connections between global investors and project owners.
• Top 10 Priority Matching Sectors: Covers 10 fields including environmental energy & clean tech, FinTech, consumer, deep tech, healthcare technology, infrastructure & real estate, and more.

🏢 Exhibition Zones

The forum features four exhibition zones hosting over 140 exhibitors, including knowledge partners such as Bank of China (Hong Kong), CICC, EY, HSBC, Huatai International, and Standard Chartered.

1. FintechHK Startup Salon
2. Global Investment Zone: Featuring investment promotion agencies from Australia, Mainland China, Ireland, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, the Philippines, Turkey, and more.
3. InnoVenture Salon: Welcoming start-ups under five years old to showcase innovations from seed to Series B funding stages.
4. New FutureGreen Showcase Zone: Focusing on green finance solutions and technology applications, seizing opportunities in sustainable development.

🌟 Confirmed Speakers (Partial List)

The forum will gather over a hundred global leaders. Some of the heavyweight speakers confirmed include:

• Dr José Manuel Barroso: Former President of the European Commission and Chairman of Goldman Sachs International Advisors
• Paul Polman: Business Leader, Investor, and Philanthropist
• Mohammed Mahfoodh Al Ardhi: Executive Chairman of Investcorp Holdings
• Zou Jiayi: Incoming President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
• Dr Burkhard Balz: Member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Bundesbank
• Rhee Chang-yong: Governor of the Bank of Korea

📝 Participation Information

• Registration: Participants can register through the official forum website.
• More Details: The full speakers' lineup and forum details will be announced at a press conference on 19 January 2026.

In summary, AFF 2026 is not only a window into global financial trends but also a pivotal bridge for connecting real economy with financial capital, exploring green and technological frontiers, and fostering cross-border partnerships. It marks a new, broader, and more practical phase for this flagship Asian forum under its new direction of "Finance Empowering Business."