ADGM hits 10-year mark with record growth, strategic global partnerships

Marking its 10th year of operations, ADGM, Abu Dhabi’s International Financial Centre (IFC), delivered another year of solid growth and strategic milestones, reinforcing its role in advancing Abu Dhabi’s status as the ‘Capital of Capital’.

Building on the strong momentum of recent years, ADGM continued to attract substantial international capital, world-class talent and leading institutions to the UAE capital.

At the end of 2025, the number of active licences in ADGM surpassed 12,000, while the number of individuals working within the financial centre increased by 51 per cent to 44,339. Meanwhile, Assets Under Management (AUM) rose 36 per cent, underscoring the sustained confidence in Abu Dhabi as a trusted hub for global asset and wealth managers.

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. Equally important was our success in attracting leading global players to ADGM, reinforcing our position as a gateway for world‑class talent, capital, and innovation.

This progress demonstrates the power of a thriving ecosystem, one built on partnerships, long‑term value creation, and a solid commitment to excellence. 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.”

The number of total active licences across ADGM rose 30 per cent to reach 12,671 at the end of 2025, further strengthening its position as the largest IFC in the Middle East and Africa region by this measure. Meanwhile, the growth in business activity across the IFC continued to attract a diverse and highly-skilled talent pool across Al Reem and Al Maryah Islands. This led to ADGM’s total workforce increasing by 51 per cent to 44,339 individuals in 2025 from 29,338 in 2024.

During the year, several leading fintech, digital assets, banking, infrastructure investment, sustainability advisory, global legal services and tech-enabled financial platforms, including Circle, Carta, Bitcoin Suisse, Tradition, Bitgrit, Stacks Asia DLT Foundation, Hidden Roads, Skadden, and Digital Climate Middle East (DCME), Olive Gaea, tone, Animoca Brands, BBVA, Arab Bank (Switzerland) Gulf, Galaxy Digital, Halo Investing, Eurasian Development Bank, iCapital, ERM, and DLA Piper, announced setting up in ADGM.

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

The licence enables Binance to operate from Abu Dhabi under a comprehensive, world-class regulatory framework, reinforcing ADGM’s position at the forefront of compliant and progressive digital asset ecosystems worldwide.

WAM