Abu Dhabi unveils new financial cluster to expand global capital ambitions

Abu Dhabi has formally launched a new financial sector cluster to integrate fintech, insurance, digital assets and alternative investments under one cohesive platform. The initiative, approved by Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, aims to position the emirate as a leading global financial hub. The cluster, known as FIDA cluster, was announced during Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2025.

FIDA is projected to deliver a major economic boost to the emirate by 2045, adding AED 56 billion to GDP, attracting at least AED 17 billion in investments and creating 8,000 skilled jobs across fintech, asset management and related sectors. The cluster will unify regulators, sovereign wealth funds, conventional financial institutions, technology innovators, startups and academia under a shared ecosystem to accelerate growth across multiple financial verticals.

Officials leading the effort, including Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and Abu Dhabi Investment Office, argue that FIDA will enable the emirate to leverage its considerable capital reserves and strong regulatory foundations to attract global investment. As noted by Abu Dhabi Global Market and other regulators, the cluster will draw on existing legal and financial frameworks to enable firms to establish operations under clear regulatory oversight.

FIDA’s structure is expansive. It will provide institutional-grade infrastructure for digital asset trading, fintech platforms, alternative finance models and ESG-driven investment products. This infrastructure will also serve other priority sectors in the emirate’s diversification strategy — including agrifood, mobility and life sciences. As part of this ecosystem, traditional insurers and reinsurers, family offices and wealth-management firms will gain access to a unified platform for savings, investment vehicles and pension or retirement-planning products.

A major emphasis in FIDA is supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, which account for roughly 42 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s non-oil GDP. The cluster is expected to provide alternative financing — including venture debt, growth capital, private equity and real-estate investment structures — to help SMEs scale up. In parallel, the cluster will support development of talent through a network of research and training institutions such as Hub71, local universities and the regulatory education arm of ADGM. These bodies will collaborate on building skills in fintech engineering, quantitative finance, ESG advisory and digital-asset management.

Leadership behind FIDA sees the cluster as critical to transforming Abu Dhabi into a “Capital of Capital,” leveraging more than US$ 1.7–1.8 trillion in sovereign wealth to support a global financial ecosystem. This ecosystem aims to deliver a convergence of capital, innovation, advanced technologies and proactive regulation, aimed at attracting global institutions, startups and investment flows.