ABU DHABI, 13th May, 2026 (WAM) — ADGM has marked its successful participation in the Milken Institute Global Conference 2026 in Los Angeles, following announcements by eight major global financial institutions managing combined global assets worth US$4.4 trillion during March and April regarding plans to establish a presence in the emirate.
During the visit, the delegation, led by Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of ADGM, reinforced Abu Dhabi’s position as the Capital of Capital and highlighted the emirate’s role as a key connector of capital between the global north and south.
Alongside Al Zaabi, senior executives from ADGM engaged with global policymakers, institutional investors and top global asset managers on the sidelines of the conference to discuss Abu Dhabi’s strategic role in the future of finance, global investment flows, and cross-border collaboration.
Al Zaabi said ADGM’s engagements in the United States reflect a strategy focused on strengthening relationships with leading global financial institutions and capital allocators. “Global capital today is increasingly gravitating toward platforms that offer predictability, institutional strength, and global connectivity.”
“As ADGM advances towards its ambition to become one of the top five financial centres of the world, we continue to strengthen a globally trusted ecosystem built on regulatory clarity, forward-looking governance, and direct access to regional and international opportunities. As the fastest-growing international finance centre in the MENA region, ADGM’s momentum in attracting leading global asset managers has been rapid and exceptional,” he added.
He said that ADGM’s rapid growth as the fastest-growing international financial centre in the MENA region is reflected in the decision by firms managing close to $4.4 trillion in assets globally to expand into Abu Dhabi.
During the Milken conference, he participated in an onstage fireside chat with Alan Schwartz, Executive Chairman of Guggenheim Partners. During the conversation, entitled Driving Global Financial Innovation, Al Zaabi highlighted Abu Dhabi’s economic transformation and ADGM’s role in shaping a resilient, future-ready financial ecosystem.
Al Zaabi emphasised the UAE’s long-term diversification strategy and the structural resilience underpinning its growth.
He said, “The UAE’s resilience is the result of deliberate strategy, not reactive policy. What we are seeing today is the validation of that model, an economy designed to deliver consistently, even under pressure.
“ADGM continued to grow. In March 2026, we issued 284 new licences, up from 270 a year earlier, realising a 5.2 percent increase.”
He also highlighted ADGM’s positioning in a rapidly evolving global financial landscape, and said, “We are building a financial centre designed for a different era, one that combines openness with institutional strength, and connectivity with long-horizon capital. That is what we mean when we say Abu Dhabi is the Capital of Capital.”
ADGM’s participation in Milken follows a series of announcements from top financial institutions, which are establishing operations within its jurisdiction.
Since the end of March, firms including Muzinich & Co., $30.5 billion AUM, Hillhouse Investment Management, over $100 billion AUM, Barings, $481 billion AUM, and Bain Capital, $225 billion AUM, have opened offices in ADGM.
In the week leading up to Milken, Hashed Global Management Limited, $324 million AUM, and Rokos Capital Management, $22 billion AUM, received their financial services permission (FSP), while Capital Group, $3.3 trillion AUM, and Man Group, $228.7 billion AUM, announced that they plan to set up in Abu Dhabi.
During the Milken conference, ADGM conducted over 50 high-level engagements with leading global institutions, including Man Group, Bain Capital, Blackstone, Carlyle Global Investment Management, Coinbase, and Guggenheim, among others, further deepening relationships with key stakeholders across the US financial ecosystem.
These engagements centred around collaborations, facilitating market entry into Abu Dhabi, leveraging ADGM’s progressive regulatory framework and global connectivity.
ADGM continues to play a central role in delivering Abu Dhabi’s broader economic vision, serving as a trusted, forward-looking financial centre anchored in international best practices and direct application of English Common Law.
Source: Emirates News Agency