The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of the Abu Dhabi Global Market outlined its 2025 performance in an annual report that described sustained expansion across the financial centre’s ecosystem while advancing supervision and policy development. According to the report, the FSRA granted 94 Financial Services Permissions during the year, a 22 percent rise from 2024 levels, and issued 120 In-Principle Approvals that reflected 32 percent growth over the prior period. The authority signed five new memoranda of understanding with overseas counterparts to deepen regulatory cooperation as ADGM’s international engagement intensified.
ADGM figures show the number of active licences across the centre surpassed 12,000 by the end of 2025 after a 30 percent increase, building on earlier gains that included a 245 percent rise in assets under management during 2024 when 134 asset and fund managers oversaw 166 funds. The FSRA report highlighted continued enhancements to its forward-looking legislative framework that balances support for innovation with robust standards for market integrity, consumer protection and financial stability. In parallel the regulator strengthened supervision, intensified efforts to combat financial crime and expanded its deployment of regulatory and supervisory technologies for more efficient data-driven oversight of a growing community of firms.
Emmanuel Givanakis, Chief Executive Officer of the FSRA at ADGM, said in the report, “In 2025, we continued to strengthen our regulatory and supervisory approach to support ADGM’s growing and increasingly sophisticated financial services ecosystem. We remained focused on delivering effective and forward-looking regulation that supports innovation while safeguarding market integrity and confidence. The achievements outlined in this report reflect the dedication of our people and our continued commitment to a resilient, well-regulated and future-focused financial ecosystem.” The statement underscored the regulator’s emphasis on maintaining an internationally aligned environment as the centre prepares for its next growth phase.
The annual report noted that the FSRA’s adoption of RegTech and SupTech tools had enabled more sophisticated monitoring capabilities precisely as the volume and complexity of regulated activities increased throughout the year. ADGM, which applies English Common Law within its free zone on Al Maryah and Al Reem Islands, positions itself as a connector between the MEASA region and global markets according to its own corporate overview. This legal foundation has helped attract institutions seeking both innovation-friendly rules and high compliance standards.
Earlier strategic planning documents from the FSRA had already flagged priorities around sustainable finance, operational resilience and responsible innovation that the 2025 Annual Report indicates were actively pursued through policy updates and collaborative initiatives. The regulator’s focus on these areas aligns with broader UAE objectives to diversify its economy beyond hydrocarbons while reinforcing its status as a global financial hub. Data from the report further illustrates how enforcement and authorisation activities scaled in tandem with the 30 percent licence growth recorded by year-end.
