Image: ADGM
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) has recorded a strong start to 2025, posting significant year-on-year growth across its ecosystem in Q1, as investor confidence and international interest in the UAE capital’s financial centre remain high.
Backed by major regulatory developments, global engagement and jurisdictional expansion, ADGM‘s Q1 performance reflects the continued momentum from a record-breaking 2024.
“ADGM’s Q1 2025 performance marks the beginning of another landmark year,” said Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, chairman of ADGM. “This is not just a reflection of ADGM’s capabilities to deliver sustained growth, but also the trust it has gained among global and regional institutions.
“ADGM continues to expand and diversify with purpose, welcoming leading firms, deepening international partnerships, and driving digital and sustainable transformation across sectors.”
At a glance: ADGM’s key growth areas in Q1
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Assets under management (AUM): AUM grew 33 per cent from Q1 2024. A total of 119 fund and asset managers now manage 184 funds.
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Licences: The number of new licences issued increased by 67 per cent year-on-year.
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Entities: Operational entities surged 43 per cent to 2,781. Financial services entities rose 26 per cent to 367.
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Workforce: More than 29,000 people are now employed on Al Maryah Island, up 17 per cent from the previous year.
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Work permits: 3,509 new work permits were issued for businesses establishing on Al Reem Island.
Expanded international presence and strategic engagements
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In January, an ADGM delegation attended iConnections Global Alts in Miami, held bilateral meetings in New York and Washington, and joined a panel titled “Abu Dhabi: The Capital of Capital”.
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In February, ADGM participated in a high-level UAE-China delegation led by ADDED, supporting efforts to deepen bilateral economic ties.
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In April, ADGM conducted nearly 30 strategic meetings in Japan with institutions focused on private banking, wealth management and family businesses.
Al Reem Island integration and new incentives
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More than 600 new businesses established on Al Reem Island and 500 existing firms migrated to ADGM licensing during Q1.
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ADGM revised its fee structure in January, slashing commercial licence fees by 50 per cent or more for non-financial and retail businesses. A flat licence fee of Dhs1,000 was introduced to boost SME access.
Digital and blockchain developments
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In March, ADGM signed an MoU with Chainlink to enable compliant tokenisation frameworks.
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Stacks Asia and Bitgrit joined ADGM under its DLT Foundations framework.
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ADGM launched an all-in-one mobile app offering compliance tools, licence renewals and regulatory updates.
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A new digital real estate platform was introduced, enabling fully virtual sale and purchase transactions.
Read: ADGM unveils ‘Virtual Sell and Purchase Service’ for property sector
Focus on sustainable finance
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The Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Declaration reached 170 signatories, including Aquila Capital, Century Financial, Oryx Global Partners, PwC and Olive Gaea.
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The initiative continues to promote ESG integration in the region’s financial sector.
Human capital and UAE National empowerment
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ADGM Academy created 800 job placements for UAE Nationals across nine career tracks.
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Signed strategic MoUs with Arab Youth and the Federal Tax Authority to support upskilling in technology and finance.
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Published six research papers on the impact of AI in the UAE financial sector via the ADGMA Research Centre.
As the financial centre continues its expansion and regulatory innovation, it expects further growth in 2025, particularly from financial markets in Europe and Asia.
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