10 years of ADGM: Abu Dhabi financial hub reveals 2025 surge, key growth milestones

Abu Dhabi: The financial free zone Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), on Abu Dhabi’s Al Maryah Island, has marked 10 years of operations with strong growth across assets, licences and workforce, underlining its expanding role as an international financial centre.

According to a statement issued Monday, assets under management (AUM) within ADGM rose by 36 per cent in 2025, reflecting continued confidence in Abu Dhabi as a hub for global asset and wealth managers.

By the end of the year, 171 asset and fund managers were operating within ADGM, collectively managing 244 funds.

Moreover, ADGM issued 3,769 new licences in 2025, bringing the total number of active licences to 12,671. Overall, total active licences rose by 30 per cent during the year, reinforcing its scale as a financial centre.

Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of ADGM, said, “2025 marked a defining chapter in ADGM’s milestones. We achieved another year of significant growth in our AUMs, reflecting both the confidence of our partners and the strength of our investment strategies.”

Al Zaabi said, “And as we continue to align closely with Abu Dhabi’s strategic vision, we remain focused on driving sustainable growth and elevating our competitive advantage to become one of the top five international financial centres in the world.”

Workforce rise

The number of people working within ADGM increased by 51 per cent in 2025, reaching 44,339 individuals, up from 29,338 in 2024.

The growth reflects rising business activity across Al Reem and Al Maryah Islands, it said.

Moreover, a wide range of global firms set up operations in ADGM during 2025, spanning fintech, banking, digital assets, legal services and sustainability sectors.

These included Circle, Carta, Bitcoin Suisse, Skadden, DLA Piper, BBVA, Arab Bank (Switzerland) Gulf, Galaxy Digital, UBS Group and Julius Baer, among others.

Crypto milestone

In December 2025, Binance became the first crypto exchange to secure a formal global licence from ADGM’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA).

The licence allows Binance to operate from Abu Dhabi under the centre’s regulatory framework.

Institution base

By the end of 2025, ADGM was home to 347 financial institutions, with 80 new licences issued to financial entities during the year.

The FSRA also issued 120 In-Principle Approvals, up nearly 32% year-on-year, while 94 new Financial Services Permissions were granted.

Abu Dhabi was also ranked the number one financial centre in the MENA region and 12th globally in the Financial Centre Competitiveness Index published by NYU Stern School of Business.

The emirate also hosted the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds (IFSWF) annual meeting in November 2025, bringing together major sovereign wealth funds.

ADGM also held Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2025, featuring 68 events and 394 sessions, with over 800 speakers and more than 35,000 attendees.

During 2025, ADGM conducted roadshows in China, Japan, London, New York, Singapore and India. These engagements included signing memorandums of understanding and hosting events to promote investment opportunities.

Regulatory moves

ADGM strengthened its regulatory framework with updates aligned to international standards, including BCBS and IOSCO principles.

New measures included a Funds Reporting Regime, a Virtual Assets notification regime and enhanced guidance for digital asset activities.

The FSRA also signed six memorandums of understanding with international regulators to strengthen cooperation.

Real estate expansion

ADGM began full operations of its expanded real estate jurisdiction in 2025, following the integration of Al Reem Island.

More than 70 services were launched for real property transactions, supported by a unified digital platform enabling remote transactions.

A joint venture between Mubadala and Aldar, valued at over Dh60 billion, was also announced to expand Al Maryah Island. Through ADGM Academy, 9,500 individuals were supported through training programmes in 2025.

The academy also enabled 6,000 job opportunities and supported 3,000 graduates with employability programmes.