ADGM reports 54% AUM growth and nearly 14,000 active licences in H1 2026

Abu Dhabi Global Market reported strong first-half 2026 growth, saying assets under management rose 54% year on year and its workforce reached 49,027 professionals. The international financial centre said active licences climbed to 13,974, reflecting sustained demand from companies seeking to establish operations within its jurisdiction.

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The report described the figures as evidence of continued expansion in capital, business activity and talent across ADGM. It said global institutions are increasingly structuring, deploying and managing investment through Abu Dhabi, and said the performance reinforces the emirate's position as a leading global financial hub in the MEASA region.

ADGM Chairman Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi said the centre is championing Abu Dhabi's long-term economic vision and "cementing its growing influence as the centre of global capital flows." He said the scale of growth across capital, institutions, businesses and talent demonstrates sustained international confidence in Abu Dhabi as a stable, trusted and globally connected financial hub. ADGM said its asset management ecosystem continued its momentum in 2026, with AUM within the centre up 54% in H1 2026 compared with H1 2025.

The report said this extended an unbroken run of growth since the start of 2022. The number of fund and asset managers based in ADGM reached 190, up 23% from 154 in H1 2025.

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ADGM said 11 managers were added in the second quarter alone, which it described as its strongest quarterly increase. The number of funds managed from ADGM rose to 276, a 32% increase from 209 funds in H1 2025.

ADGM said the asset managers that established operations there during H1 2026 oversee more than USD 2.1 trillion in global assets under management. On business activity, ADGM said the total number of active licences reached 13,974 in H1 2026, making it the largest IFC in the MEASA region by that indicator.

It said 1,814 licences were issued during the period. Operational entities reached 3,986, ADGM said, marking a 34% rise from 2,972 at the end of H1 2025.

The centre said this shows its evolution from a destination for business establishment into an increasingly deep and active financial ecosystem. ADGM said the licences cover operating companies, financial institutions, and holding and investment structures used to commit, structure and deploy capital into and from Abu Dhabi.

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It said the growth reflects both the scale of investment flowing through the jurisdiction and the number of companies trading, hiring and investing from within it. The centre said its financial services ecosystem deepened further in H1 2026, with the number of financial services entities operating in the jurisdiction rising to 392, up 27% from 308 at the end of H1 2025.

The Financial Services Regulatory Authority issued 50 in-principle approvals and granted 45 new Financial Services Permissions. ADGM said major financial firms establishing, launching or expanding their presence during the period included Capital Group, Man Group, Barings, Bain Capital, Hillhouse Investment, Muzinich & Co., Madison Realty Capital, Grow Investment Group, Rokos Capital Management, Polygreen Holdings, Hashed, Cantor, Bitexen MENA, Bitexen Custody, Copper ME, Blue Owl and Dhabi.

The report said the growing presence of these firms strengthens ADGM's role as a gateway connecting international capital with opportunities across Abu Dhabi, the UAE and the wider region. It also said the ecosystem's growth is being matched by a deeper talent base.

At the end of H1 2026, the combined workforce across Al Maryah Island and Al Reem Island reached 49,027 professionals, up by 4,688 in the first half of the year. ADGM said this represented a 34% increase compared with the same period last year.

ADGM Academy said it trained 1,607 Emirati nationals during H1 2026 and expanded employment pathways through its partnership with the Mawaheb Talent Hub, backed by the Department of Government Enablement. It also said it graduated a third cohort of 28 young Emiratis, selected 15 UAE nationals for the World Bank Group Explorers Program, and expanded specialist skills programmes in AI, wealth and asset management, and 3D printing.

The Academy also launched the Wealth Management Institute WMI School of AI, offering more than 19 practitioner-led courses and training over 544 UAE nationals in agentic AI. It also introduced three new flagship programmes focused on family offices and wealth management, and said collaborations with Capital.com, Al Nazaha Association, ADDA and ADSG supported financial literacy, integrity and digital transformation initiatives.

ADGM said the Academy's Ransomware Defence Leadership Award recognised its contribution to strengthening the UAE's cyber resilience. The centre also said it has become the jurisdiction of choice for institutions deploying capital into artificial intelligence, with more than USD 100 billion in AI-focused investment now held by entities established in the financial centre.

It said that concentration is anchored by MGX, described as a global investment platform focused on large-scale deployment of capital into AI infrastructure and advanced technologies, and licensed by the FSRA. ADGM also named RIQ, Bluefive Capital and RealAssetX Abu Dhabi among the AI-linked initiatives and firms in its ecosystem.

ADGM said it completed the first phase of its artificial intelligence implementation during H1 2026, deploying AI across 25 business functions in licensing, supervision and customer service. It said the rollout reduced manual workload by more than 5,000 staff hours annually, accelerated approval timelines and enabled about 25% of customer enquiries to be resolved instantly through digital channels.

The centre said its AI use is being supported by work on data, governance, cybersecurity and workforce foundations. It said the approach is designed to be governed, verifiable and human-accountable, with oversight, authority boundaries and continuous performance monitoring.

ADGM said a technology roadmap extending to 2029 will involve more than AED400 million in investment to expand these capabilities, strengthen digital infrastructure and modernise core regulatory and operational systems. It said the aim is to position the centre to regulate and serve an increasingly AI-driven financial industry.

On international engagement, ADGM said it expanded outreach across China, India and Singapore during the first half of the year. It also said a strategic partnership with Shenzhen's Futian District strengthened cooperation on innovation, capital markets connectivity and business exchange, while an engagement with Italy led by the chairman supported collaboration in investment, financial services and institutional partnerships.

The centre said it maintained a prominent presence in the United States through the Milken Institute Global Conference 2026, where engagements with Bain Capital, Vista Equity Partners and Man Group explored deeper collaboration and expansion within Abu Dhabi's financial ecosystem. ADGM said it also advanced regulatory changes during H1 2026, including an integrated suite of real estate services, a new Broker Classification Framework, discussion papers on crypto mining guidance and amendments to commercial legislation, and updates to beneficial ownership requirements.

The FSRA said it updated insurance regulation, introduced requirements on climate-related financial risks, finalised its framework for virtual asset staking, and enhanced anti-money laundering rules in line with federal legislation and FATF recommendations. The report said the Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions Rulebook was updated in May 2026.

It also said the FSRA signed memoranda of understanding with Greece's Hellenic Capital Market Commission, VARA, Shenzhen's Futian District and the Central Bank of Brazil to strengthen cooperation on capital markets supervision, market integrity and financial crime prevention. ADGM Courts said its 2026 caseload had already exceeded the total for all of 2025 by July 1 and was tracking to more than double last year's caseload.

The courts said most cases were brought under "opt in" jurisdiction, and that they signed a strategic MoU with The Mediation Hub MENA to expand mediation across the UAE and wider region. The report said the International Arbitration Centre Alliance launched its Global Passport, with ADGM's Dispute Resolution Hearing Centre among the participating centres.

ADGM said the developments strengthen investor and business confidence in its independent legal and judicial infrastructure and support its role as Abu Dhabi's "Capital of Capital."

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