ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market)
Abu Dhabi's common-law financial centre for institutions and family offices.
What ADGM is actually known for
ADGM's distinguishing feature is unusual worldwide: it applies English common law directly, as it currently stands, rather than enacting a local version of it. Precedent from the English courts flows through automatically. Combined with an independent regulator in the FSRA, its own courts, and one of the earliest comprehensive virtual-asset frameworks anywhere, that has made Al Maryah Island the jurisdiction of choice for funds, family structures and digital-asset businesses that need legal certainty more than they need a low licence fee.
ADGM is an international financial centre and free zone established by federal decree in 2013, operating as Abu Dhabi's financial hub with its own English-common-law framework and independent courts. It's the premium, institutionally-credible zone for financial services, asset and wealth management, fintech, holding structures and family offices.
Key benefits
- Legal system based directly on English Common Law with independent courts
- 100% foreign ownership; 0% personal income tax
- Globally respected regulatory framework (FSRA) trusted by institutions
- Premier ecosystem for financial services, fintech, funds and family offices
- Strong reputation aiding banking and fundraising
- Full profit / capital repatriation
Business activities & licenses
ADGM supports a range of license types and activities, including:
- Financial services (banking, asset/fund management, insurance, fintech)
- Holding companies & SPVs
- Family offices
- Professional services, tech and retail/office
The clusters that exist here
Activity lists look similar across every free zone. What differs is which industries have genuinely concentrated in one — the counterparties, the suppliers and the people you end up sitting next to.
- Funds and asset management
- A fund regime with domestic, exempt and qualified investor fund categories, supported by FSRA authorisation and a growing manager base.
- Virtual assets and digital finance
- ADGM built one of the first comprehensive regulatory frameworks for virtual-asset activity, which is why a significant share of the region's regulated crypto businesses are authorised here.
- Family offices and foundations
- The ADGM Foundations regime is widely used for succession and asset-holding structures, with common-law trust and corporate tools alongside it.
- Technology and startups
- A tech startup licence at reduced cost, and proximity to Hub71, Abu Dhabi's technology ecosystem programme with its own incentive packages.
- Corporate service and professional firms
- Law firms, corporate service providers and advisors serving the financial and structuring work concentrated on the island.
Infrastructure and institutions
The things ADGM has that a competing zone would have to build from scratch:
- Direct application of English common law, including future developments in English case law
- ADGM Courts with common-law judges and their own enforcement regime
- Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) as an independent regulator
- ADGM Foundations regime for wealth and succession structuring
- Al Maryah Island campus, with the jurisdiction expanded to include Al Reem Island
- Adjacency to Hub71 and Abu Dhabi's sovereign investment ecosystem
Ownership & visas
100% foreign ownership — regulated activities need FSRA authorisation.
Visa quota is linked to leased office space; physical presence generally required. SPV/holding structures have limited or no visa needs.
Cost & timeline
Specialised category, initial (USD 1,900)
| Product / charge | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Category A — financial business | AED 62,433USD 17,000 initial · USD 16,500 renewal | |
| Category B — non-financial business | AED 21,301USD 5,800 initial · USD 5,300 renewal | |
| Category C — retail business | AED 10,283USD 2,800 initial · USD 2,300 renewal | |
| Specialised | AED 6,978USD 1,900 initial · USD 1,400 renewal | |
| Company service provider | AED 28,646USD 7,800 initial | |
| DLT (distributed ledger technology) | AED 55,088USD 15,000 initial | |
| Foundation | AED 3,673USD 1,000 initial · USD 500 renewal | |
| New establishment card | AED 1,127 | |
| New e-channels account | AED 4,197 |
Important: These are Registration Authority charges. They exclude registered office and lease registration, FSRA application and supervision fees for financial entities, regulatory capital, compliance personnel, audit, insurance, legal advice, technology and operational substance. Converted at USD 1 = AED 3.6725.
Source: adgm.com · assets.adgm.com
Get a written quoteTypical timeline: Non-financial: days to weeks; FSRA-regulated firms: often several months.
Is ADGM right for you?
Financial-services firms, fund managers, fintechs, family offices, holding companies and professional firms that need an internationally-credible, common-law jurisdiction and will pay a premium for standing.
Choose ADGM if
- You need a regulated financial licence with an internationally credible regulator
- You are structuring family wealth and want common-law foundations and trusts
- You operate in virtual assets and need genuine regulatory authorisation, not just a licence
- Your investors or counterparties expect English law and a court that will apply it
- You want proximity to Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth and institutional capital
Look elsewhere if
- You are a general trading, logistics or retail business
- You need a low-cost licence — ADGM's fee categories are published in US dollars and scale with activity
- You want a fast, light-touch setup; regulated authorisation is a substantive process measured in months
What people get wrong about ADGM
The things that surprise founders after they have already signed — worth knowing before you do.
- Category determines everything
- ADGM prices by regulatory category. A non-financial holding company, a Category 3C asset manager and a Category 1 bank are entirely different fee schedules and compliance burdens. Establish your category before budgeting.
- Incorporation and authorisation are separate
- Registering the company is quick. FSRA authorisation for a regulated activity involves a regulatory business plan, capital adequacy, senior-manager approvals and compliance infrastructure. Plan months, not weeks.
- Substance requirements are enforced
- ADGM expects genuine presence — real premises, real decision-makers in the jurisdiction. It is not a mailbox jurisdiction, and it is not priced like one.
What makes ADGM different
- Applies English Common Law directly, with its own independent courts.
- A leading MENA fintech and financial hub with a dedicated regulator (FSRA).
Compare alternatives
How ADGM compares
| Free zone | Emirate | License from* | Typical timeline | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADGM This page | Abu Dhabi | AED 6,978/yr | Non-financial: days to weeks; FSRA-regulated firms: often several months | Finance · Family office |
| DIFC → | Dubai | AED 12,487/yr | ~3–5 weeks non-financial; longer for DFSA-regulated firms | Finance · Funds |
| twofour54 → | Abu Dhabi | Revalidation required | Registration typically ~3–5 working days; add visa processing | Media · Film & gaming |
* Published entry prices from each authority, verified 1 August 2026 — not quotes, and not directly comparable products. Compare all 17 zones
ADGM — frequently asked questions
01How much does it cost to set up in ADGM?＋
These are Registration Authority charges. They exclude registered office and lease registration, FSRA application and supervision fees for financial entities, regulatory capital, compliance personnel, audit, insurance, legal advice, technology and operational substance. Converted at USD 1 = AED 3.6725. Figures are the authority's own published prices as last verified — confirm current pricing before committing.
02Can I own 100% of my ADGM company?＋
100% foreign ownership — regulated activities need FSRA authorisation.
03How many visas can I get with ADGM?＋
Visa quota is linked to leased office space; physical presence generally required. SPV/holding structures have limited or no visa needs.
04How long does ADGM setup take?＋
Non-financial: days to weeks; FSRA-regulated firms: often several months. Timelines depend on document readiness, visa processing and bank onboarding.
05Who is ADGM best for?＋
Financial-services firms, fund managers, fintechs, family offices, holding companies and professional firms that need an internationally-credible, common-law jurisdiction and will pay a premium for standing.
06How does ADGM apply English law?＋
ADGM directly applies English common law and certain English statutes as they stand from time to time, rather than codifying a local version. In practice that means English case-law developments carry through automatically, which gives contracts and structures a level of predictability that's rare outside England itself. It's the single biggest technical difference between ADGM and DIFC.
07Is ADGM good for a crypto business?＋
It's one of the most established options globally for regulated virtual-asset activity — FSRA published a comprehensive framework early and has authorised exchanges, custodians and brokers under it. That also means it's a genuine regulatory process with capital, custody and compliance requirements, not a licence you buy. Budget for authorisation, not just incorporation.
08What is an ADGM Foundation?＋
A foundation is a standalone legal entity with no shareholders, used to hold assets for a defined purpose or set of beneficiaries — a civil-law concept that ADGM offers alongside common-law trusts. Families use them for succession planning, asset protection and holding operating companies, because control and succession can be set out in the foundation's own charter.