Abu Dhabi’s ADGM reported a 36 per cent jump in assets under management at the financial hub last year as it marked a decade of operations, amid a sustained flow of capital and talent to the emirate.
The significant jump in the assets under management of companies operating at ADGM underpins the “sustained confidence in Abu Dhabi as a trusted hub for global asset and wealth managers”, ADGM said in a statement on Monday.
More than 171 asset and fund managers which together manage 244 funds called ADGM home at the end of the last year. A total of 347 financial institutions are now based in ADGM, 80 of which were licensed last year, according to the latest data.
“Last year marked a defining chapter in ADGM’s milestones,” Ahmed Al Zaabi, chairman of ADGM, said. “We achieved another year of significant growth in our assets under management, reflecting both the confidence of our partners and the strength of our investment strategies.
Equally important was “our success in attracting leading global players to ADGM”, which has reinforced its position as a “gateway for world‑class talent, capital, and innovation”, he added. It is now among the fastest growing international financial centres in the world.
Some of the high-profile financial entities that set up offices at ADGM last year include Kimmeridge, Fortress, Polen Capital, Adams Street, Arcapita, Aquila Group, Germany’s DWS, Harrison Street, KKR, Monroe Capital, Plenary ME Infrastructure Partners, Swiss bank UBS Group and one of Europe’s oldest wealth managers Julius Baer.
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority, the regulator of ADGM, has also issued 120 in-principle approvals for companies, a 32 per cent year-on-year rise, while it also granted 94 new financial services permissions to entities.
Carrying on the growth momentum over the past few years, the number of active licences in ADGM exceeded 12,000 at the end of 2025, a 30 per cent annual jump. The number of people employed by the companies in the financial hub also rose by 51 per cent year-on-year to 44,339.
It also attracted several leading FinTech players last year, including Binance, to secure a formal global licence from ADGM’s FSRA in December. The licence enables Binance to operate from Abu Dhabi under a “world‑class regulatory framework, reinforcing ADGM’s position at the forefront of compliant and progressive digital‑asset ecosystems worldwide”, ADGM said.
The centre remains “focused on driving sustainable growth and elevating our competitive advantage”, Mr Al Zaabi added.
Established in 2015 on Al Maryah Island, ADGM has recorded rapid growth as Abu Dhabi enhances its non-oil economy and focuses on attracting more international companies and investors.
In September last year, ADGM said it was the region’s largest international financial centre by the market capitalisation of its registered entities. The total value of ADGM-based firms listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange surpassed Dh500 billion ($136 billion) by mid-2025.
