Abu Dhabi Global Market has announced that Man Group plc plans to establish a presence in the emirate, adding one of London’s best-known alternative investment managers to the financial centre’s expanding roster of global asset-management firms.The planned office, subject to regulatory approval, is expected to strengthen Man Group’s engagement with regional investors and deepen its operating footprint in the Middle East. The firm, listed in London and managing about $228.7 billion in assets as of 31 March 2026, brings scale across systematic strategies, discretionary investing and investment solutions at a time when Abu Dhabi is seeking to consolidate its position as a global centre for capital allocation.
Man Group’s move reflects a wider shift in which international investment firms are increasing their presence in the Gulf to gain closer access to sovereign funds, family offices, pension capital and institutional investors. Abu Dhabi has become a focal point of that strategy because of its concentration of long-term capital, regulatory infrastructure and growing demand for private markets, hedge fund strategies, multi-asset solutions and technology-led investment platforms.
ADGM said the commitment reinforces Abu Dhabi’s appeal as a base for global asset managers and investment firms. The financial centre recorded a 36 per cent rise in assets under management in 2025 and had more than 12,000 active licences by the end of the year. Its asset and fund manager base rose to 171 firms overseeing 244 funds, while the number of professionals working within the centre climbed 51 per cent to more than 44,000.
The expansion comes as Abu Dhabi competes more assertively with established financial centres and with Dubai’s financial district for international financial services business. The emirate has built its proposition around English common law, a dedicated financial regulator, tax efficiency, proximity to sovereign wealth capital and a growing ecosystem of banks, asset managers, digital asset firms, legal advisers and professional services groups.
Man Group’s decision is significant because of the firm’s long history in quantitative and alternative investment strategies. Founded in the 18th century and now operating as a global investment manager, the firm has spent years expanding beyond its historic hedge fund roots into long-only, credit, private markets and institutional solutions. Its investment approach places heavy emphasis on data, technology, risk management and systematic research, areas that align with Abu Dhabi’s push to attract sophisticated financial and technology-driven firms.
The firm reported assets under management of $227.6 billion at the end of 2025, up sharply from $168.6 billion a year earlier. By the end of March 2026, assets had edged higher to $228.7 billion, supported by investment performance even as industry flows remained uneven across some alternative-investment categories. Its 2025 results showed strong net inflows and continued diversification across strategies, underlining the resilience of large multi-strategy managers in a market shaped by interest-rate uncertainty, geopolitical risk and investor demand for uncorrelated returns.
Abu Dhabi’s financial-sector growth has been supported by the scale of the emirate’s sovereign investment institutions and its wider economic diversification agenda. The capital hosts some of the world’s largest state-backed investors, giving global asset managers a strong incentive to build local coverage teams and deepen relationships with regional allocators. The arrival of major firms has also helped create a cluster effect, drawing legal, compliance, fund administration, fintech and advisory services into the same ecosystem.
ADGM’s 2025 expansion included higher licensing activity across asset management, banking, digital assets, infrastructure investment and sustainability advisory. The centre issued 3,769 new licences during the year, taking total active licences to 12,671. Its regulatory arm also continued to approve financial services permissions and in-principle approvals, supporting a pipeline of entrants seeking regulated operations in the jurisdiction.
The Middle East has become increasingly important for global fund managers facing tougher fundraising conditions in some Western markets. Sovereign funds and large family offices in the Gulf have grown more influential as sources of patient capital, particularly for private credit, infrastructure, real estate, venture capital, hedge funds and energy-transition strategies. Managers with local teams are better placed to service these investors, respond to mandates and participate in co-investment opportunities.
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