Abu Dhabi Global Market
Abu Dhabi Global Market — Affordable Financial Services & Fintech Hub Starting from USD 7,500
What is Abu Dhabi Global Market?
International financial centre on Al Maryah Island operating under English common law with independent courts, ideal for financial services, fintech, and professional services.
International financial centre on Al Maryah Island operating under English common law with independent courts, ideal for financial services, fintech, and professional services.
Key Features & Benefits
- English common law jurisdiction with independent courts
- Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA)
- Hub71 tech ecosystem with housing/office subsidies
- 2025 fee reductions of 50-67%
- 0% corporate tax for QFZP entities
Pricing & Costs
From USD 17,000/yr Year 1 costs, renewals, and multi-year discounts
Pricing & Costs
From USD 17,000/yrYear 1 costs, renewals, and multi-year discounts
Pricing
Abu Dhabi Global Market — Year 1 Fees
License Packages ⓘ
Cat A — Financial Services
- Cat A — Financial Services license
- Renewal USD 16,500
Cat B — Non-Financial (Commercial)
- Cat B — Non-Financial (Commercial) license
- Renewal USD 5,300. Down ~50% from 2024
Cat C — Retail
- Cat C — Retail license
- Renewal USD 2,300. Down ~67% from 2024
Specialized (Art, Trust, Education)
- Specialized (Art, Trust, Education) license
- Renewal USD 1,400
Tech Startup (3-year incentive)
- Tech Startup (3-year incentive) license
- Via Hub71 ecosystem
Social Enterprise
- Social Enterprise license
- Renewal USD 1,000
💡 Multi-year licenses (2–3 years) are eligible for a 15–20% discount when paid upfront.
Government Immigration Fees ⓘ
Renewal Fees ⓘ
All prices are in USD and exclude 5% VAT where applicable. Prices may change — verify directly with the freezone authority before making decisions. Last verified: 12 February 2026
Setup & Documents
5-14 days Step-by-step process, timeline, and required documents
Setup & Documents
5-14 daysStep-by-step process, timeline, and required documents
Setup Roadmap
Your journey from application to fully operational business.
Choose Business Activity
Select your business activity and license type from Abu Dhabi Global Market's approved list
Reserve Trade Name
Submit trade name application for approval
Submit Documents
Upload passport copies, application form, and supporting documents
Pay License & Registration Fees
Complete payment for license and registration fees to Abu Dhabi Global Market
Receive Trade License
License issued after document verification and payment confirmation
Apply for Visa & Open Bank Account
Submit visa application and business bank account opening
You're Open for Business!
Document Checklist
Everything you need to register your company with Abu Dhabi Global Market.
Individual Shareholders
5 documents
- Valid passport (6+ months validity)
- Passport-size photograph
- Emirates ID (if UAE resident)
- Proof of address (utility bill <3 months)
- NOC from current sponsor (if applicable)
Corporate Shareholders
7 documents
- Certificate of Incorporation
- Memorandum & Articles of Association
- Board resolution authorizing UAE setup
- Valid passport of authorized signatory
- Share certificate
- Good standing certificate
- Apostilled/attested documents (if outside GCC)
- Passport copies must show at least 6 months validity from application date
- Documents from outside the GCC may require apostille or attestation
- Upload high-quality colour scans — minimum 300 DPI
- Corporate documents should be certified as true copies
Banking & Payments
4/5 ease · 3 partner banks Bank account opening, partner banks, and payment setup
Banking & Payments
4/5 ease · 3 partner banksBank account opening, partner banks, and payment setup
Banking
Corporate bank account opening with guaranteed IBAN.
Partner Banks
Emirates NBD
Major UAE bank with comprehensive business banking
Mashreq Bank
Digital-first banking with StartUp packages
RAKBANK
SME-friendly banking solutions
Documents Needed
- Apply to 2–3 banks simultaneously to maximise approval chances
- Prepare a clear business plan explaining your revenue model
- Have 3–5 sample contracts or invoices ready — even drafts work
- Consider digital banks like Wio for faster approval and zero minimum balance
Not sure if Abu Dhabi Global Market is right for you?
Talk to an unbiased FreezoneMatch advisor. We'll help you compare options, avoid hidden costs, and find the best fit — completely free.
Why Abu Dhabi Global Market?
8 key advantages Key advantages that set this free zone apart
Why Abu Dhabi Global Market?
8 key advantagesKey advantages that set this free zone apart
Why Abu Dhabi Global Market?
What makes this free zone stand out.
5-14 Day Setup
Standard company formation timeline. In-person visit required for document submission.
3 Partner Banks
Banking rated 4/5 (Good). Account opening typically takes 2-4 weeks.
Up to 15 Visas
2 years validity. Dependents allowed. Flexible allocation based on package.
0% Corporate Tax
On qualifying free zone income (QFZP status). 100% foreign ownership with full capital repatriation.
Mainland Trading Access
Multiple pathways to the mainland market including ADDED Permit and branch licensing.
Abu Dhabi Location
On Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi's central business district, 30 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport
English common law jurisdiction with ...
A key advantage of setting up your business in Abu Dhabi Global Market.
Financial Services Regulatory Authori...
A key advantage of setting up your business in Abu Dhabi Global Market.
- Financial services and fintech companies
- Management and business consultants
- Technology and software companies
- Budget-conscious startups (high regulatory costs)
- Non-financial businesses (limited activity scope)
- Virtual office seekers (physical office lease is mandatory)
- Businesses needing warehouse or industrial facilities
Reviews
3.8★ (133 reviews) Customer reviews and alternatives
Reviews
3.8★ (133 reviews)Customer reviews and alternatives
This review is specifically for ADFW 2025. This is now my 6th ADFW, previous years it’s been held in ADGM Bull-ring around the offices themselves. This year the waterfront space has added a new dynamic. The queues are less, no issues with waiting for lifts - well done a great event and a good improvement.
I had an excellent experience with Abu Dhabi Global Market. The team is highly responsive and professional, especially Ms. Hala, who provides extraordinary service and exceptional customer support. I would especially like to thank Ms. Nouf, Mr. Darwich, and Mr. Abdulla from the Transactions Department for their outstanding assistance and professionalism. They have been extremely supportive and efficient throughout the process. Overall, a very well-organized and supportive institution.
Update: Hisham and his colleagues got in touch with me to address this issue - I am grateful for their efforts. However, the best result we reached was to match a previous valuation from May. I was told the valuations are only generated to have a figure to work from when calculating the 2% transfer fee - instead of it being a fair evaluation on the market. ADGM is facilitating property transfers in Reem and they hold all this information (information which used to be public) and therefore these valuations can't be verified. While ADGM has said sales data will again be public at some point, in the meantime ADGM are still unable to provide a fair market valuation on my property, but if I also pay for a third-party valuation then ADGM may match or update it to another valuation. This says to me that ADGM doesn't have a process for conducting fair market valuations on property within it's jurisdiction, but ADGM should be able to give the most accurate valuation given they hold all the sales data. Unfortunately, agents and owners I've spoken to seem to share this confusion of why this seems to be the case when paying ADGM for valuations. Original: Yesterday I paid 1092AED for a unit valuation for my 2bd apartment in Sun Tower and it came back valued at 1M!? For context, the valuation that ADGM gave for the same apartment at the time of transfer FIVE months ago was 1.855M, even though I paid 1.575M for it AND the market prices has increased over 50% in the last year. They would have record of all of this because they generated the first valuation, facilitated the transfer of ownership, and they are keeping all of the property transactions in Reem private instead of how they used to be public with ADREC. I called ADGM and they claimed that their valuation is based on the average in the area, but you can't any 2bd anywhere in Reem with an asking price below 1.2m - therefore the average should be ATLEAST higher than 1.2m, and there's no way anyone has purchased a 2bd apartment for less than what a 1bd apartment costs in Sun Tower at the moment. Their reasoning simply doesn't line up with the actual market. Their response was that I should submit a valuation by a third party (more cost to me) or pay ADGM for another valuation - but why should I do that and pay one dirham more when they haven't even conducted the first valuation properly? Poor service and illogical reasoning from their customer support.
The ADGM team is very professional and extremely supportive. I would like to give special thanks to Mr. Yaseen Semsemyeh, who took full initiative and handled all pending tasks smoothly. Without his involvement, this would not have been possible. Also, thank you to Mr. Abdullah Aljunaibi for handling a complex transfer quickly and professionally. I was even late to my appointment, yet we managed to complete the transfer of two units in around 15 minutes from start to finish. Excellent service overall. ADGM continues to prove why it is the preferred financial centre. Highly recommended.
ADGM still need work to come up to the level of attracting investors: 1- They must solve the errors in their system and not make it the investor's responsibility and send him in hopeless non-ending loops. 2- They need to pay more attention to their services like: - Their title deeds are missing the vital details like appartment size, allocated parking, dimensions, etc. - Their valuations certificates are costy and outdated, they still use the 15years old valuations. 3- They need to be more investor friendly like other neighbours. I have a very bad experience with ADGM in 2025-2026
Review data as of 29 March 2026. For the latest reviews, visit Google Maps.
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Is Abu Dhabi Global Market Right for You?
✅ Choose Abu Dhabi Global Market if you...
- • financial services and fintech companies
- • management and business consultants
- • technology and software companies
🔄 Consider alternatives if you...
- • budget-conscious startups (high regulatory costs)
- • non-financial businesses (limited activity scope)
- • virtual office seekers (physical office lease is mandatory)
- • businesses needing warehouse or industrial facilities
Compare with Similar Freezones
FAQ
7 common questions Common questions about setting up in this free zone
FAQ
7 common questionsCommon questions about setting up in this free zone
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about setting up in Abu Dhabi Global Market.
How much does it cost to set up in Abu Dhabi Global Market?
How long does it take to set up a company in Abu Dhabi Global Market?
How many visas can I get with Abu Dhabi Global Market?
Can I sell to mainland UAE customers with a Abu Dhabi Global Market license?
Do I pay corporate tax in Abu Dhabi Global Market?
Do I need a physical office in Abu Dhabi Global Market?
How do I open a bank account with a Abu Dhabi Global Market license?
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