The Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) issued 1,869 new licences in the first half of 2025, a 47 per cent year-on-year increase, bringing the total active licences to 11,128.
Operational entities within the financial free zone, spanning both financial and non-financial firms, rose 42 per cent annually to 2,972.
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority granted 52 in-principle approvals for financial institutions, up 27 per cent, while new financial service permissions advanced 45 per cent from the same period last year.
Asset management also maintained strong momentum, with assets under management growing 42 per cent year on year. By June 2025, ADGM was home to 154 registered fund and asset managers, while the number of funds reached 209.
The market capitalisation of ADGM-based companies listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange exceeded AED500 billion in the first half of the year.
Following ADGM’s jurisdictional expansion to Al Reem Island in May 2024, the combined workforce across Al Maryah and Al Reem Islands rose to 35,964 employees by mid-2025. This growth aligns with Abu Dhabi’s broader demographic expansion, which increased 7.5 per cent year on year to over 4.14 million residents in 2024, according to the Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi.
