ADGM added over 1,100 new entities in Q1 2025 following its jurisdictional expansion to Al Reem Island, according to newly released data. The international financial centre recorded a 43% year-on-year rise in the total number of operational entities, reaching 2,781, and a 26% increase in financial services firms, totalling 367.
The number of new licences issued rose 67% from Q1 2024, with firms such as Skadden, NewVest, Arcapita, and Polen Capital among the new entrants. Assets under management (AUM) grew 33% compared to the same quarter last year, with 119 managers overseeing 184 funds.
The Al Reem Island expansion contributed significantly to the quarter’s figures. Over 600 new businesses were established in the area, while more than 500 existing firms migrated to an ADGM licence. ADGM issued 3,509 new work permits during the period, while the workforce across Al Maryah Island grew by 17% to over 29,000 individuals.
In regulatory developments, ADGM introduced a flat Dh1,000 commercial licence fee for non-financial and retail businesses, replacing the previous tiered structure. It also introduced new employment regulations and launched a digital transaction platform for real estate, enabling fully virtual buy-sell workflows.
The centre continued to attract digital asset and fintech players. Chainlink signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) to develop tokenisation standards, while Stacks Asia and Bitgrit joined the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ecosystem under ADGM’s Distributed Ledger Technology Foundations framework.
ADGM Academy facilitated 800 job placements for UAE nationals and launched training programmes aligned with national upskilling targets. Six research papers were published during the quarter, focusing on the role of AI in the financial sector.
