Abu Dhabi cements global finance ambitions as ADGM adds institutions managing over $9tn in assets

Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the international financial centre of Abu Dhabi, is entering its second decade with strengthened momentum after announcing the addition of 11 new major global financial institutions representing more than $9tn in assets under management.

The increase marks a dramatic rise from $635bn last year and $450bn in 2023, representing one of the most significant expansions by any international financial centre globally this year.

The growth reinforces ADGM’s position as the region’s fastest-growing international financial centre and one of the world’s most dynamic jurisdictions for asset management.

Abu Dhabi is “Capital of Capital”

The announcements were made in the lead-up to and during the fourth and largest edition of Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW), highlighting Abu Dhabi’s growing influence as a global financial hub and positioning ADFW as a platform for international capital flows supported by ADGM’s regulatory ecosystem.

With assets under management represented at ADGM rising sharply, the centre is consolidating its standing not just through incremental gains, but through what it described as a step-change in Abu Dhabi’s role within the global financial system.

During the week, leading institutions including Cantor Fitzgerald, BBVA, Arab Bank Switzerland Gulf Ltd, Plenary ME Infrastructure Partners Ltd., alongside Eurasian Development Bank, ERM, and DLA Piper, announced plans to establish a presence in ADGM.

These moves span asset management, banking, infrastructure investment, sustainability advisory, and global legal services.

Pipeline momentum

The latest announcements build on a strong pipeline of fourth-quarter commitments from firms including:

• UBS Group
• KKR
• Julius Baer
• HarbourVest
• Madison Realty Capital
• Partners Group
• DWS
• Monroe Capital

Together, these commitments mark a strong start to ADGM’s next decade of growth and position the centre among the world’s top five international financial centres.

ADGM said it will continue to expand across priority growth areas, extending beyond asset management into digital assets, sustainable and green finance, and advanced family office and private wealth services, underpinned by a regulatory framework aligned with global standards.

ADGM growth

Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of ADGM, said: “The commitments announced during ADFW underscore Abu Dhabi’s rising influence at the centre of global capital flows and the long-term confidence international institutions place in the clarity and scale of our vision.

“Over the past decade, Abu Dhabi has established a resilient, trusted and progressive financial ecosystem, grounded in robust regulatory foundations.

“The addition of global firms managing more than $9tn in assets is not a milestone in isolation, but a clear signal of trust in Abu Dhabi’s world-class IFC and its ability to support increasingly sophisticated financial activity.”

A landmark development during ADFW was the announcement that Binance became the first crypto exchange to secure a formal global licence from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of ADGM.

Richard Teng, Co-CEO of Binance, said: “During ADFW, Binance became the first global crypto exchange to secure a comprehensive global licence under the ADGM framework, marking a world first for the digital asset industry.

“This milestone reflects our compliance-first philosophy and our continued focus on transparency, security, and user protection. Our partnership with ADGM and our presence at ADFW reinforce our strong belief in the long-term growth of the crypto ecosystem.”

Other fintech and digital asset firms, including iCapital, Hashed Global Management Ltd., Circle Internet MEA Ltd., Galaxy Digital, and Animoca Asset Management, are also anchoring more of their regional activity from ADGM.

Expanding sophistication

ADGM’s ecosystem is deepening as higher-value activities take root. RIQ announced plans to partner with Swiss Re to advance risk, data, and AI-powered reinsurance solutions from ADGM.

Meanwhile, JPMorgan said it is expanding its payments and treasury services business from ADGM, enabling the provision of liquidity management and multi-currency payment solutions across the region.

Home-grown platforms also strengthened Abu Dhabi’s market infrastructure, with 82 memorandums of understanding signed during ADFW between local firms such as Finstreet and the ADI DLT Foundation, and global players including BlackRock and Franklin Templeton. The Majarra–Halo partnership was highlighted for its focus on developing next-generation structured products from within ADGM.

All announcements were made during the fourth edition of ADFW, held under the theme “Engineering the Capital Network”, reflecting Abu Dhabi’s strategy to align regulation, technology, and market architecture as it builds the next chapter of global financial innovation.