Los angeles: 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.
According to Emirates News Agency, 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 emphasized ADGM's strategy focused on strengthening relationships with leading global financial institutions and capital allocators, highlighting platforms offering 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," Al Zaabi added. He noted ADGM's rapid growth is mirrored by firms managing close to $4.4 trillion in assets globally expanding into Abu Dhabi.
During the Milken conference, Al Zaabi participated in an onstage fireside chat with Alan Schwartz, Executive Chairman of Guggenheim Partners. The discussion, entitled Driving Global Financial Innovation, highlighted Abu Dhabi's economic transformation and ADGM's role in shaping a resilient, future-ready financial ecosystem. Al Zaabi underscored the UAE's long-term diversification strategy and structural resilience underpinning its growth, describing it as a deliberate strategy rather than a reactive policy.
'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,' he stated. 'ADGM continued to grow. In March 2026, we issued 284 new licences, up from 270 a year earlier, realizing a 5.2 percent increase.'
ADGM's participation in Milken follows a series of announcements from top financial institutions establishing operations within its jurisdiction. Since the end of March, firms such as Muzinich and Co., Hillhouse Investment Management, Barings, and Bain Capital have opened offices in ADGM. In the week leading up to Milken, Hashed Global Management Limited and Rokos Capital Management received their financial services permission, while Capital Group and Man Group announced plans 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. These interactions focused on collaborations, facilitating market entry into Abu Dhabi, and 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.
