Abu Dhabi Global Market
ADGM · Abu Dhabi · regulator FSRA · Common law
Abu Dhabi's common-law financial free zone regulated by the FSRA — SPVs, tech-startup and full financial-services licences with English-law courts.
Licence cost
Financial services licence (new)
USD 16,700/yr (ADGM commercial fee; FSRA fees separate)
Non-financial commercial licence (new)
USD 5,500/yr
SPV total government setup
USD 1,900 one-time (name + registration + licence)
Excludes mandatory Company Service Provider & office fees.
Tech startup licence (new)
USD 1,500/yr (+USD 300 data protection)
Effective 1 Jan 2025.
Minimum capital
FSRA Category 3C base capital
USD 250,000 (USD 50,000 for EF/QIF fund managers)
Requirement is highest of base/risk/expense-based capital.
FSRA Category 4 base capital
USD 10,000 (advising/arranging)
Verify against FSRA PRU rulebook.
Timeline
FSRA financial services permission
~4–6 months total
SPV incorporation
5–10 business days
Activities
Core offerings
SPV/holding, tech startup, FSRA-regulated financial services (Cat 1–5)
Needs separate approval
Conducting any Regulated Activity (financial services) in/from ADGM requires a Financial Services Permission (FSP) from the FSRA under FSMR 2015.
Setup steps
Appoint a Company Service Provider
Mandatory for SPV applications
Reserve name & submit application
Via ADGM online registry
Pay fees & receive licence
Soft-copy commercial licence by email on approval
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