ADGM-Australia ‘FinTech bridge’ to bolster innovation in finance

Abu Dhabi / WAM

Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the International Financial Centre in Abu Dhabi, and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) have strengthened their FinTech collaboration with an official strategic partnership to further advance developments and initiatives that nurture Fintech entrepreneurship and support innovation in financial services in Abu Dhabi and Australia.
The FinTech bridge is a fruition of meaningful dialogues and exchanges between the FinTech 000teams of ASIC and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM. ASIC and FSRA share the same objective and have Innovation Functions to develop robust FinTech ecosystems that support the needs of the financial industry and bolster innovation in their respective markets.
The co-operation agreement was signed by Greg Medcraft, Chairman of ASIC and Richard Teng, Chief Executive Officer, FSRA of ADGM.
The agreement establishes a strategic framework for both regulators to share relevant information on innovation, provide support through the application and authorisation process,
as well as, to refer cross-border
activities that benefit and add
to the growth of the financial
and FinTech industries in the UAE and Australia.
Greg Medcraft said, “FinTech developments are not confined by national borders. Each country and region has a different experience with FinTech, and there is much we can learn from engaging with one another. This agreement will help to connect Australian FinTech businesses with a range of exciting opportunities in a region ripe for further development.”
Richard Teng said, “We are pleased to partner ASIC and share the common interest in fostering an inclusive international Fintech Hub that supports innovation in a safe regulatory environment. In MENA, the opportunities and potential for FinTech to advance
financial inclusion, economic benefits and growth are enormous. With this FinTech collaboration, ADGM and ASIC are able to tap on the strengths and network of each other’s markets to support technology startups and innovators in advancing their creative solutions into new markets. I look forward to our partnership with ASIC and other global authorities to advocate robust financial integration and regulatory collaboration.”
This new agreement establishes ADGM’s fourth FinTech bridge with a global FinTech hub, following its recent collaborations with the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the Kenya Capital Markets Authority and the Authority of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone (Qianhai Authority).
ADGM will continue to establish new initiatives and work closely local and global stakeholders to foster an open and inclusive global FinTech hub to serve Abu Dhabi and the greater MENA region.
As part of its ecosystem-building commitment, ADGM has formed strategic partnerships with FinTech leaders and industry players in the Middle East and Africa region, India, Europe, USA, the United Kingdom and others.