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Hanwha Finance announced the expansion of its ties with Abu Dhabi’s financial ecosystem following partnerships signed this week with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and the Abu Dhabi Global Market at the Abu Dhabi Investment Forum Seoul. The collective grouping of Hanwha Life, Hanwha General Insurance, Hanwha Investment and Securities, and Hanwha Asset Management detailed the agreements in a statement distributed through Emirates News Agency. Hanwha Life entered a partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office focused on three core areas that include establishing a digital asset ecosystem, strengthening connections between the financial and capital markets of South Korea and Abu Dhabi, and advancing digital banking together with financial innovation. The parties will additionally explore business opportunities in digital assets, including the tokenisation of real-world assets such as real estate into tradable digital tokens.
A separate memorandum of understanding was concluded by Hanwha Asset Management with the Abu Dhabi Global Market and Hana Financial Group to examine cooperation on stablecoins and cross-border financial infrastructure. The arrangement targets development of payment and remittance solutions linking South Korea and Abu Dhabi while supporting an interoperable digital asset ecosystem. According to the Hanwha Finance statement, these steps form part of a broader Digital Asset Silk Road vision aimed at connecting financial markets and institutions between the two sides.
The financial group has also partnered with the Abu Dhabi Global Market for Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2026, scheduled to take place in the UAE capital during December. This latest agreement builds directly on the network established during Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2025, when Hanwha financial affiliates participated in multiple sessions and signed memorandums of understanding with global partners, a report by The Korea Times noted. The 2025 event saw Hanwha Asset Management conclude an agreement with a U.S. investment firm to support expansion of Korea’s culture and lifestyle industries while Hanwha Investment and Securities partnered with a digital wallet provider to bolster its digital asset specialisation.
Kwon Hyuk-woong, vice chairman and CEO of Hanwha Life, said in connection with the announcements that the group would work to convert its cooperation with Abu Dhabi into tangible business opportunities. Fatima Al Hammadi, head of the Fintech, Insurance, Digital and Alternative Investments cluster at the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, described the partnership as a means to explore opportunities across digital finance, digital assets and financial innovation. The Korea Herald reported that senior officials from both sides, including Abu Dhabi Investment Office Director-General Badr Al Olama, attended the forum held at the JW Marriott Hotel Seoul on September 16.
The partnerships align with Abu Dhabi’s established position as a hub for financial innovation, where the Abu Dhabi Global Market has licensed numerous fintech and digital asset entities in recent years. Hanwha Finance first deepened its engagement with the emirate’s markets through its participation in the 2025 edition of Abu Dhabi Finance Week, an annual gathering that facilitates dialogue on investment and regulatory alignment between the UAE and international partners. The current initiatives extend that foundation by prioritising practical collaboration in emerging technologies that include blockchain-based asset representation and stablecoin-enabled cross-border transfers.
Executives from Hanwha Life and Hanwha Asset Management who attended the forum included Lim Dong-jun, CEO of Hanwha Asset Management, and Kim Dong-wook, vice president and head of global strategy at Hanwha Life. The Hanwha Finance statement indicated that the agreements would help broaden the group’s financial network across the Middle East while reinforcing bilateral economic links between South Korea and the UAE. Further implementation details, including specific timelines or investment amounts, were not disclosed in the announcement.
