ABGM Attracts 11 Global Institutions Managing Over $9T in Assets

Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) is entering its second decade with the addition of 11 global institutions representing more than $9 trillion in assets, marking a sharp increase from $635 billion last year and $450 billion in 2023. The announcements were made in the lead-up to and during the fourth edition of Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW), the largest to date.

The incoming institutions span asset management, banking, infrastructure investment, sustainability advisory, and legal services. New entrants include Cantor Fitzgerald, BBVA, Arab Bank Switzerland Gulf Ltd., Plenary ME Infrastructure Partners Ltd., Eurasian Development Bank, ERM, and DLA Piper.

Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of ADGM, said the commitments announced during ADFW reflect rising international confidence in Abu Dhabi’s regulatory clarity and long-term financial vision. He described the addition of firms managing more than $9 trillion in assets as a signal of trust in ADGM’s ability to support increasingly complex global financial activity.

The latest additions build on a strong pipeline of fourth-quarter commitments from institutions including UBS Group, KKR, Julius Baer, HarbourVest, Madison Realty Capital, Partners Group, DWS, and Monroe Capital. ADGM said this momentum places the centre among the world’s top five international financial hubs.

Growth is also being driven by activity across fintech, digital assets, sustainable finance, and private wealth services. Firms such as Circle Internet MEA Ltd., Galaxy Digital, Animoca Asset Management, and iCapital are anchoring regional operations from ADGM. Meanwhile, JPMorgan confirmed it is expanding payments and treasury services from the centre to support regional liquidity and multi-currency solutions.

During ADFW, 82 memorandums of understanding were signed between local and international entities, including partnerships involving BlackRock and Franklin Templeton, reinforcing ADGM’s positioning as a hub for cross-border capital flows.