• Supported by Ray Dalio, the Institute will leverage data science to evaluate and rank IFCs worldwide, setting a new global benchmark
  • The inaugural Financial Centers Competitiveness Index will debut at Abu Dhabi Finance Week in December 2025

Abu Dhabi, UAE – The Stern School of Business at NYU Abu Dhabi (Stern at NYUAD), one of the world’s leading business schools, today announced the establishment of the Institute for Global Financial Competitiveness, a new research endeavor that will use data science to research and rank International Financial Centers (IFCs) globally.

The Institute will be located at Stern at NYUAD, a strategic decision based on the proximity to several regions driving much of the world’s future economic growth.

The Institute brings together a world-class team of researchers and advisors and is supported by Ray Dalio, renowned investor and founder of Bridgewater Associates, who has devoted decades to studying the global economic order and its shifting dynamics. His involvement underscores the Institute’s ambition to bring world-leading perspectives to the study of international finance.

The Institute for Global Financial Competitiveness will advance research into the evolving global economic order, with a particular focus on the role of IFCs. Leveraging cutting-edge data science, it will evaluate and rank IFCs around the world, providing a unique lens on their competitiveness, impact, and contribution to global markets.

“Recognizing how international financial centers shape, and are shaped by, economic activity is essential to understanding how global economies evolve. The goal is to develop a rubric that demonstrates how financial centers compare and compete — not just in human and financial capital, but also in terms of future readiness. This Institute is therefore consistent with Stern’s mission to research, teach, and engage on topics critical to global economic growth and development,” Rob Salomon, Dean of Stern at NYUAD.

The Institute will release its inaugural Financial Centers Competitiveness Index during the Global Markets Summit at Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) that opens in the UAE on December 8, 2025.

“We welcome the Stern School of Business at NYU Abu Dhabi’s landmark decision to establish the Institute for Global Financial Competitiveness in Abu Dhabi. The Institute marks a pivotal moment in the application of data science to learn the true status of financial centers, globally. Abu Dhabi is proud to welcome these world-class economic researchers, and wish them well as they pursue an important and challenging mission to create the number one global standard in the field. Our Falcon Economy relishes the opportunity to be assessed, as we pursue our place in the competitive global economic order.” HE Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, said.

The Institute for Global Financial Competitiveness represents a unique convergence of academic rigor, industry expertise, and data-driven insight. By creating a systematic benchmark for International Financial Centers, it will provide policymakers, business leaders, and investors with an evidence-based framework to navigate the shifting dynamics of global finance. This approach not only advances scholarly understanding but also delivers practical tools for decision-makers operating in an increasingly interconnected and competitive landscape.

Anchored in Abu Dhabi, and supported by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, the Institute underscores Stern at NYUAD’s commitment to situating research where global economic transformations are most visible. With the support of visionary partners and advisors, it aims to foster dialogue across regions and industries, ensuring that the Financial Centers Competitiveness Index becomes an authoritative reference point worldwide.

About Stern at NYUAD

stern.nyuad.nyu.edu

The Stern School of Business at NYU Abu Dhabi is the top US Business school in the region. Stern at NYUAD is an academic enterprise that is uniquely positioned to influence management and business in MENA. The School offers premier, internationally distinguished business degrees, tailored for aspiring leaders in the UAE and abroad. Stern at NYUAD gathers a global community of learners and talented professionals to equip them with a strong business and management foundation through an innovative curriculum taught by esteemed faculty. Through dynamic coursework, innovative teaching avenues, and real-world opportunities the programs aim to accelerate careers in a dynamic global economy.

About NYU Abu Dhabi

www.nyuad.nyu.edu
NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the top 35 universities in the world, making NYU Abu Dhabi the highest globally ranked university in the UAE. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 120 countries and speak over 100 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.