UAE: Abu Dhabi Financial Services

Abu Dhabi’s capital markets have witnessed rapid expansion since the establishment of the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) in 2000. Prior to the creation of the ADX – which was originally known as the Abu Dhabi Securities Market – the sector played a much more limited role in the emirate’s financial services landscape. Historically the...

In 2017 the UAE was home to the largest and fastest-growing insurance sector in the GCC. The industry has recorded strong compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) in both non-life and life segments during the last decade, while takaful (Islamic insurance) products have developed considerably since 2012. This robust performance across lines...

Abu Dhabi is a prominent player in Islamic finance and is active in markets for sharia-compliant debt; deposit, lending and investment schemes; and risk-management through takaful (Islamic insurance). Acting through the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the emirate’s financial free zone, the sector has access to domestic as well as...

As a religion, Islam has no central authority, and Muslims have established multiple schools of thought. Islamic finance reflects this decentralised approach, as in the past it has been largely up to each individual financial institution to design products and services they believe are sharia compliant.

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), the emirate’s sovereign wealth fund (SWF) and one of the principal pillars of Abu Dhabi’s economic stability, has come a long way since its foundation in 1976.

While the first year of operations for Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) has brought much attention for its licensed financial institutions, and the regulatory and judicial infrastructure within which they operate, 2017 is likely to see more emphasis on the zone’s strategy to develop as a broad-based financial centre.