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ADGM said in a statement that assets under management at the financial centre climbed 54 percent year on year during the first six months of 2026. The workforce expanded to 49,027 professionals across Al Maryah Island and Al Reem Island, a 34 percent increase from the same period in 2025 that brought the total close to 50,000 for the first time. Active licences reached 13,974 by the end of June, with 1,814 new licences issued in the period as the centre reinforced its position as the largest international financial centre in the MEASA region by this measure. The growth builds on momentum that has seen an unbroken run of increases in assets under management since the start of 2022.
According to the statement, the number of fund and asset managers based in ADGM rose to 190, a 23 percent increase from 154 a year earlier, with 11 managers added in the second quarter alone marking the highest quarterly rise recorded. The number of funds managed from the centre increased 32 percent to 276. Asset managers that set up operations in the first half collectively oversee more than $2.1 trillion in global assets under management. The statement noted that more than $100 billion in AI-focused capital is now held by entities at the centre.
Operational entities stood at 3,986, up 34 percent from 2,972 at the end of the first half of 2025, the statement indicated. Financial services firms operating in the jurisdiction grew to 392, a 27 percent rise from the prior year. ADGM has committed $109 million to expand its digital infrastructure through 2029 as it continues to attract global institutions.
Earlier announcements from ADGM placed full-year 2025 growth in assets under management at 36 percent, with active licences surpassing 12,000 and the workforce reaching 44,339 at that time. The first-quarter 2026 update showed a 57 percent increase in assets under management alongside a workforce of 47,047 and more than 13,000 active licences. The latest half-year figures reflect sustained demand for the centre’s progressive regulatory environment and application of English common law.
The statement highlighted that the scale of expansion across capital, institutions, businesses and talent demonstrates sustained international confidence in Abu Dhabi as a stable, trusted and globally connected financial hub. ADGM chairman Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi was quoted in the announcement underscoring the performance as evidence of Abu Dhabi’s growing relevance among the world’s leading financial centres. The centre’s ecosystem has evolved from a primary destination for business setup into a deeper operational hub for financial activity.
