Alan Howard on financial centers
From The Keys To Managing Money & Risk: In Conversation with Alan Howard · · AbuDhabiFinanceWeek
“The decision to move our execution desk to Abu Dhabi was driven by the incredible trading environment, the advantageous time zone, and the supportive fiscal and legal framework, which together position Abu Dhabi as a potential global financial center.”
On , Alan Howard, Cofounder at Brevan Howard, spoke about financial centers during The Keys To Managing Money & Risk: In Conversation with Alan Howard on AbuDhabiFinanceWeek.
About Alan Howard
During Abu Dhabi Finance Week in December 2025, Alan Howard discussed Brevan Howard's expansion in Abu Dhabi, citing strong regulation, pro-business policies, and the vision of Ahmed Jazim Al-Zabi for regulating traditional and digital markets. He stated that the firm now manages more money in Abu Dhabi than anywhere else in the world. In a December 2023 interview, Howard described Brevan Howard as a macro hedge fund with approximately $35 billion in assets under management that has generated about $28 billion in profits for clients over 20 years. He emphasized the firm's focus on downside risk, noting it has not lost more than a low single-digit percentage in any month or year since inception. Howard attributed the decision to move the firm's execution desk to Abu Dhabi to the time zone, fiscal environment, and legal framework. He also predicted increased macro volatility over the next 5 to 10 years due to central bank policy shifts and the unwinding of debt from quantitative easing.