ADGM’s Assets Under Management Jump 42% in H1 2025

Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the international financial centre (IFC) of Abu Dhabi, reinforced its position as the largest and fastest-growing financial hub in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region during the first half of 2025, with more than 11,000 active licenses and a 42% jump in assets under management.

During the period, ADGM also emerged as the region’s largest IFC by the market capitalisation of its registered entities listed on a stock exchange, underscoring the centre’s efforts to reinforce the financial sector’s contribution to Abu Dhabi’s non-oil economy, which grew to 9.1% in Q1 of 2025.

The first six months of the year were also defined by transformative deals and partnerships between some of Abu Dhabi’s most influential institutions and ADGM-based entities, highlighting the centre’s role in enabling global businesses to invest and build strategic local and regional partnerships.

ADGM Chairman Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi said that ADGM’s sustained commitment to excellence is strongly reflected not just in its growth numbers, but also in the rising global confidence in Abu Dhabi’s role as a financial powerhouse and the “Capital of Capital”.

Record Business Activity

The total number of operational entities within ADGM, which represents financial and non-financial firms, grew to 2,972 during H1, marking a 42% y-o-y growth. These include 308 financial firms and 2,664 non-financial.

ADGM’s business-friendly environment, progressive regulatory frameworks, access to global and regional capital and its existence as the only jurisdiction in the region with the direct application of English Common Law continue to attract both market entrants and established firms to Abu Dhabi.

During the same period, ADGM registered 1,869 new licences, the highest number of licenses issued during a six-month period since ADGM was established. This represents a 47% growth in new licences compared to a year earlier and brings the total number of active licences in ADGM to 11,128.

Meanwhile, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) issued a total of 52 In Principle Approvals (IPAs) for financial services firms, up 27% y-o-y, while 45 new Financial Services Permissions (FSPs) were granted, a 45% increase.

This momentum was further strengthened by the presence of top global and regional names such as Kimmeridge, Fortress, Circle, Oryx Global Partners, GMB Limited, Partners Group, Carta, Bitcoin Suisse, Tradition, Bitgrit, Harrison Street, Stacks Asia DLT Foundation, Hidden Roads, Polen Capital, Arcapita, Seviora, Aquila Group, Skadden, PATRIZIA, NewVest, Investindustrial and Digital Climate Middle East (DCME).

Asset Management Growth

ADGM’s asset management sector continued its upward trajectory in the first half of 2025, with Assets Under Management (AUM) surging by 42% compared to H1 2024. At the end of June 2025, the number of registered fund and asset managers based out of ADGM reached 154, while the total number of funds increased to 209.

US-based investment manager Nuveen, which opened its first Middle East office in ADGM last year and currently manages between $3 billion and $5 billion out of the centre, expects its AUM in the region to double over the next three years.

Partnerships

During H1, a series of partnerships and strategic investments anchored in ADGM signalled the maturity of the financial centre and its increasing role in enabling institutional-scale investment flows.

In May, Fortress Investment Group established a permanent office in ADGM and entered into a $1 billion global credit and real estate co-investment partnership with Mubadala.

Meanwhile, US-based asset manager Kimmeridge inaugurated its ADGM office during H1 and signed a MoU with Mubadala Energy to co-develop natural gas and LNG ventures, establishing a transatlantic energy corridor through ADGM.

Further elevating ADGM’s status as a destination for financial innovation, IHC, BlackRock, and ADGM-based Lunate launched a $1 billion+ AI-native reinsurance platform from within ADGM. With ambitions to manage more than $10 billion in liabilities, the venture positions ADGM as a nucleus for AI-driven global financial solutions.

Additionally, Mubadala and Alpha Dhabi scaled their ADGM-based private credit joint venture to $2.5 billion, reinforcing the financial centre’s growing importance to Abu Dhabi’s largest institutional investors.

In a significant milestone, ADGM is now 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 (ADX) has surpassed $136.15 billion by the end of H1 2025.