ADGM reinforces Abu Dhabi’s position as global financial hub

ADGM, the international financial centre of Abu Dhabi, delivered strong growth in the first half of 2026, with assets under management (AUM) rising 54 per cent year on year and its workforce reaching 49,027 professionals.

Meanwhile, the number of active licences also climbed to almost 14,000, underscoring sustained demand from companies seeking to set up within the jurisdiction. The results reflect the continued expansion of capital, business activity and talent across ADGM, as global institutions increasingly structure, deploy, and manage investment through Abu Dhabi.

Together, these results reinforce Abu Dhabi’s growing position as the leading global financial hub of the Middle East, Africa, and Southern Asia (MEASA) region and the Capital of Capital. His Excellency Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of ADGM, said, “ADGM is championing Abu Dhabi’s long-term economic vision and cementing its growing influence as the centre of global capital flows.

The scale of growth we are witnessing across capital, institutions, businesses, and talent demonstrates sustained international confidence in Abu Dhabi as a stable, trusted and globally connected financial hub. Whether it is capital, opportunity or ambition, Abu Dhabi is increasingly becoming the place where all these factors converge seamlessly and meaningfully.

Through ADGM, we are building on this momentum, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s position as the Capital of Capital and advancing our ambition to become among the world’s top five leading international financial centres. ”

ADGM’s asset management ecosystem has sustained its strong momentum in 2026. AUM within ADGM increased 54 per cent in H1 2026 compared to H1 2025, extending an unbroken run of growth since the start of 2022.

The number of fund and asset managers based in ADGM reached 190, up 23 per cent from 154 in H1 2025, with 11 managers added in the second quarter alone, ADGM’s strongest quarterly increase. The number of funds managed from ADGM rose to 276, representing a 32 per cent increase from 209 funds in H1 2025.

Collectively, the asset managers that established operations in ADGM during H1 2026 oversee more than US$2.1 trillion in global assets under management, underscoring Abu Dhabi’s growing appeal as a destination for leading international investment firms.

ADGM continued to experience strong business activity during H1, with the total number of active licences reaching 13,974, making it the largest international financial centre in the MEASA region by this key indicator. Of these, 1,814 licences were issued during the period.

Operational entities reached 3,986, representing a 34 per cent rise from 2,972 at the end of H1 2025, highlighting the continued evolution of ADGM from a destination for business establishment into an increasingly deep and active financial ecosystem.

These licences span the full breadth of activity within the jurisdiction, from operating companies and financial institutions to the holding and investment structures through which capital is committed, structured and deployed into and from Abu Dhabi.

This reflects both the scale of investment being channelled through ADGM and the growing number of companies trading, hiring, and investing from within the jurisdiction. ADGM’s financial services ecosystem continued to deepen in H1 2026, reflecting sustained demand for its progressive regulatory environment, access to capital and direct application of English Common Law.

The number of financial services entities operating within the jurisdiction surged to 392 in H1 2026, up 27 per cent from 308 at the end of H1 2025. Meanwhile, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) issued a total of 50 In-Principle Approvals (IPAs) for financial services firms, while 45 new Financial Services Permissions (FSPs) were granted.

Major financial firms establishing, launching or expanding their presence during the first half of the year included Capital Group, Man Group, Barings, Bain Capital, Hillhouse Investment, Muzinich & Co., Madison Realty Capital, Grow Investment Group, Rokos Capital Management, Polygreen Holdings, Hashed, Cantor, Bitexen MENA, Bitexen Custody, Copper ME, Blue Owl and Dhabi, among others.

The growing presence of leading global institutions further strengthens ADGM’s role as a gateway connecting international capital with opportunities across Abu Dhabi, the UAE and the wider region. The continued growth of ADGM’s ecosystem is being matched by significant growth in its talent base.

At the end of H1 2026, the combined workforce across Al Maryah Island and Al Reem Island reached 49,027 professionals, an increase of 4,688 in the first half of 2026 alone. This represents an increase of 34 per cent, compared to the same period last year.

ADGM Academy continued to advance Abu Dhabi’s national talent and knowledge agenda during H1 2026, training 1,607 Emirati nationals and expanding pathways to employment through its partnership with the Mawaheb Talent Hub, backed by the Department of Government Enablement – Abu Dhabi.

Its national development efforts included graduating a third cohort of 28 young Emiratis, selecting 15 UAE Nationals for the World Bank Group Explorers Program, and expanding specialised skills development through programmes in AI, wealth, and asset management, and 3D printing.

The academy also launched the Wealth Management Institute WMI School of AI, offering more than 19 practitioner-led courses and training over 544 UAE Nationals in agentic AI, alongside three new flagship programmes focused on family offices and wealth management.

Strategic collaborations with Capital.com, Al Nazaha Association, ADDA and ADSG further strengthened financial literacy, integrity and digital transformation initiatives, while the academy’s Ransomware Defence Leadership Award recognised its contribution to strengthening the UAE’s cyber resilience.

ADGM has become the jurisdiction of choice for institutions deploying capital into artificial intelligence, with more than US$100 billion in AI-focused investment now held by entities established in the financial centre. That concentration is anchored by MGX, the global investment platform focused on large-scale deployment of capital into artificial intelligence infrastructure and advanced technologies, which is licensed by ADGM's FSRA.

It extends to AI-enabled financial platforms, including RIQ, which during the period signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Swiss Re to develop AI-enabled reinsurance capabilities, and to investment firms such as Bluefive Capital.

Through RealAssetX Abu Dhabi, developed by ADGM Academy in partnership with PGIM and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, the centre is also advancing applied research into artificial intelligence across real assets and infrastructure.

ADGM is applying the same technology to its own operations. During the first half of 2026, the financial centre completed the first phase of its artificial intelligence implementation, deploying 25 business functions with AI across licensing, supervision, and customer service.

The rollout has reduced manual workload by more than 5,000 staff hours annually, accelerated approval timelines and enabled approximately 25 per cent of customer enquiries to be resolved instantly through digital channels.

Alongside these deployments, ADGM is strengthening the data, governance, cybersecurity and workforce foundations required to scale AI responsibly. Its approach is designed to be governed, verifiable and human-accountable, with clear authority boundaries, appropriate oversight, and continuous performance monitoring.

This will support the progressive use of AI to improve the speed, consistency and quality of services while preserving the statutory responsibilities and decision rights of ADGM's Authorities. Under a technology roadmap extending to 2029, ADGM will invest more than AED400 million to expand these capabilities, strengthen digital infrastructure, and modernise core regulatory and operational systems, positioning the centre to regulate and serve an increasingly AI-driven financial industry.

ADGM has continued to deepen its international engagement this year, strengthening relationships with leading global financial centres, institutions, investors, and policymakers and supporting greater cross-border investment flows into Abu Dhabi.

During the first half, ADGM expanded its outreach across key Asian markets including China, India, and Singapore, while a strategic partnership with Shenzhen’s Futian District strengthened collaboration focused on innovation, capital markets connectivity and business exchange.

A strategic engagement with Italy, led by ADGM’s Chairman, supported increased collaboration across investment, financial services and institutional partnerships. ADGM also maintained a prominent presence in the US through its participation in the Milken Institute Global Conference 2026, where engagements with leading global financial institutions, including Bain Capital, Vista Equity Partners and Man Group, explored opportunities for deeper collaboration and expansion within Abu Dhabi’s financial ecosystem.

ADGM also advanced a series of regulatory enhancements during H1 2026 aimed at supporting market confidence, innovation, transparency, and alignment with international standards. The Registration Authority (RA) of ADGM advanced several initiatives across the commercial and real estate sectors.

These included the introduction of an integrated suite of real estate services aimed at enhancing accessibility and flexibility across ADGM’s jurisdiction, alongside the launch of a new Broker Classification Framework designed to raise professional, transparency, and service standards across the real estate market.

The RA also published a discussion paper seeking stakeholder feedback on proposed guidance for crypto mining activities as well as amendments to ADGM’s commercial legislation to enhance regulatory clarity, strengthen beneficial ownership requirements.

The Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM continued to advance ADGM’s risk-based and progressive financial regulatory framework with enhancements to its regulatory framework for insurance, aligning with International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) standards and introducing requirements for the management of climate-related financial risks by relevant firms.

It also finalised its regulatory framework for the staking of virtual assets, and finalised enhancements to ADGM’s anti-money laundering framework to reflect developments in federal legislation and evolving international best practices, including the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

The first half also saw updates to the published Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions Rulebook in May 2026. International regulatory cooperation also remained a priority, with the FSRA signing an MoU with Greece’s Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC), Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA), Shenzhen’s Futian District, and the Central Bank of Brazil, establishing a framework for greater cooperation and mutual assistance in areas including capital markets supervision, market integrity, and financial crime prevention.

ADGM Courts’ record-breaking caseload in 2026 reflects growing confidence in its independent, internationally recognised judicial framework. By 1 July 2026, ADGM Courts had already exceeded its total caseload for the whole of 2025 and is tracking to more than double last year’s caseload.

The majority of cases fall within ADGM Courts’ opt in jurisdiction, demonstrating that parties are increasingly choosing ADGM Courts to determine their disputes, even where there is no direct connection with ADGM. ADGM Courts signed a strategic MoU with The Mediation Hub MENA, aimed at increasing the accessibility, efficiency, and adoption of mediation across the UAE and wider region and further strengthening ADGM Courts’ Court-Annexed Mediation Scheme.

Meanwhile, the International Arbitration Centre Alliance (IACA) launched its Global Passport, enabling recognised members of participating international dispute resolution centres to access shared facilities and services across jurisdictions.

ADGM’s Dispute Resolution Hearing Centre (DRHC) is among the participating centres, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s connectivity with the international dispute resolution community. These developments further strengthen investor and business confidence in ADGM’s independent legal and judicial infrastructure and its ability to provide trusted, transparent, and internationally recognised dispute resolution services to its thriving business community.

Supported by Abu Dhabi’s long-term economic vision, institutional strength, and access to capital, ADGM will continue to play the role of a national champion as a progressive, trusted, and globally connected financial centre capable of supporting businesses and investors through an evolving global financial landscape.

As it builds on the momentum achieved during the first half of 2026, ADGM remains focused on strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as the Capital of Capital and enabling sustainable economic diversification.