In early December, NeuGroup and I had the privilege of facilitating the Inaugural Treasury & CFO Roundtable during Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2025. The discussion took place at a pivotal moment: the convergence of data, AI, emerging quantum technologies and the rapidly expanding capital and liquidity networks of the UAE’s “Falcon Economy” is creating an inflection point unlike anything treasury and finance have previously experienced. - More than 30 senior leaders participated, representing sovereign wealth funds, global corporates, national champions, technology innovators and global banking and market infrastructure leaders. Collectively, the group reflected both the growing gravitational pull of the Middle East in global finance and the next technological frontier reshaping capital allocation, risk management and financial governance.
- The roundtable was designed to reveal what each participant most wants to learn as transformative technologies reshape finance—and as the global center of financial gravity continues to shift toward the UAE. It highlighted what participants can share with one another to help accelerate success in navigating this opportunity, both individually and collectively.
Systems architecture, data discipline and quantum readiness. With AI and emerging quantum services being layered onto existing ERP, TMS, SWIFT and banking platforms, participants expressed concern about fragmentation and complexity. Most were skeptical that AI—or quantum—will fully replace core systems in the near term. Instead, the prevailing view was that modular, interoperable architectures will win.
- Across this discussion, data remained the nonnegotiable foundation (see our story on Treasury4). Several participants emphasized that quantum computing will magnify both strengths and weaknesses in data environments.
- As one participant summarized: There is no bad data—only data that is uncategorized or poorly categorized. AI will not fix poor data governance—but it will dramatically reward organizations that get it right.
Practical takeaways for treasury leaders. While quantum computing remains emergent, the discussion made clear that preparation begins now. Participants aligned on several pragmatic principles:
- Start small with AI, but architect for scale and future quantum integration.
- Target high-frequency, high-complexity pain points, such as forecasting, liquidity optimization and risk modeling.
- Invest in data discipline and interoperability, which will determine readiness for both AI and quantum capabilities. Design governance for machine-speed decision-making, not just human workflows.
The future of finance. The Roundtable highlighted a defining shift for the profession. AI is rapidly becoming a baseline requirement for effective treasury operations, while quantum computing looms as the force that will elevate today’s ambitions into an entirely new operating paradigm.
- The examples emerging from Abu Dhabi—from AI-assisted investment committees to discussions of sub-millisecond financial infrastructure—demonstrate that the future of treasury is being imagined, tested and scaled here first.
- For treasury leaders globally, the message is clear: this is not about predicting when quantum arrives. It is about ensuring that data, architecture, governance and talent are ready when it does. Those who prepare now will move from managing liquidity to orchestrating capital at machine speed, in a world where financial gravity—and technological leadership—is decisively shifting east.
