What ADGM is, and who it suits
Abu Dhabi Global Market is a financial free zone with its own courts and its own regulator, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority. Its distinguishing feature is that it applies English common law directly rather than codifying its own version of it, which means English case law applies and English-law documentation generally travels without adaptation.
In practice that makes ADGM well suited to structures where the documentation, lenders or counterparties are already English-law based: joint ventures, financing structures, holding vehicles sitting above international assets, and succession arrangements drafted by English-qualified advisers.
ADGM permits full foreign ownership across its structures, with no local partner requirement. Its Company Service Provider regime is formal: for most private structures, appointing a licensed CSP is a requirement rather than a convenience, which is covered below.
Structures we establish and administer
The right vehicle depends on what it holds and what it is meant to achieve, not on which is quickest to register.
ADGM Company Formation
Private companies limited by shares, branches of foreign companies and restricted scope companies, incorporated under ADGM's direct application of English common law.
ADGM SPV
The special purpose vehicle used to hold shares, real estate, intellectual property and single assets. Widely used for ring-fencing and for joint venture and financing structures.
ADGM Foundation
A separate legal person with no shareholders, used for succession planning, asset protection and philanthropic purposes where control needs to survive a generation.
ADGM Family Office
Single family office arrangements for families consolidating governance, investment oversight and succession under one structure.
ADGM Funds
Fund vehicles and fund manager licensing under the FSRA, from exempt structures through to fully authorised managers.
Governance & Compliance
Company secretarial support, registered office, beneficial ownership filings, annual returns and economic substance, on a continuing basis.
When do you need an ADGM Company Service Provider?
ADGM divides vehicles into exempt and non-exempt. A non-exempt SPV or Foundation must appoint a licensed Company Service Provider. The exemptions are narrow and generally apply where the vehicle sits beneath a group that is already regulated or listed, so for most private clients, family structures and international investors, a CSP is mandatory.
The CSP is not a formation agent who disappears once the certificate is issued. It provides the registered office, maintains the register of members, directors and beneficial owners, files the annual return, monitors deadlines and handles share transfers, director changes and constitutional amendments as they arise. For a holding vehicle with no employees, the CSP is the entity's entire administrative function.
That is worth weighing when choosing a provider. The cheapest route to a certificate is rarely the cheapest route to a structure that is still in good standing in year five.
ADGM or DIFC?
Both are common law financial free zones with independent courts, full foreign ownership and no local partner requirement. The honest answer is that neither wins in the abstract. The decision turns on what the vehicle holds, where the counterparties and lenders sit, whether the group is already established in one centre, and which banking relationships are realistically available.
We advise on that choice before an application is filed, because moving a structure between jurisdictions afterwards means re-registering assets, reopening banking and renegotiating contracts.
ADGM guides
Written for the decision rather than the definition: which structure, which centre, and what administering it involves.
ADGM Company Service Provider: when you need one
Exempt versus non-exempt, why a CSP is mandatory for most private structures, and what the role actually covers once the company exists.
DIFC SPV vs ADGM SPV
The two centres' holding vehicles compared on governing law, service provider requirements and the assets each suits.
ADGM Foundation setup
Legal personality without shareholders, the founder, council and guardian roles, and when a Foundation is the right vehicle.
DIFC Foundation vs ADGM Foundation
Two regimes that are structurally close, and the factors that should actually decide between them for a family.
ADGM family office setup
A family office is an arrangement, not a vehicle. How the layers fit together and why most families over-build at the outset.
ADGM registered office services
What the requirement actually is, why it is not the same as leasing premises, and where it comes from for an SPV or foundation.
ADGM SPV setup for UK investors
The registration process end to end: eligibility, the nexus requirement, documents, timelines and post-registration duties.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Company Service Provider to set up an ADGM SPV?
In most cases, yes. ADGM distinguishes between exempt and non-exempt vehicles. Non-exempt SPVs and Foundations are required to appoint a licensed Company Service Provider, which supplies the registered office and maintains the statutory records and filings. Exemptions are narrow and generally apply where the vehicle sits beneath an already regulated or listed group. The practical position for most private clients and international investors is that a CSP is mandatory rather than optional.
What does an ADGM CSP actually do after the company is formed?
Formation is the smallest part of it. A CSP provides the registered office, maintains the register of members, directors and beneficial owners, prepares and files the annual return, monitors filing deadlines, keeps the corporate record available for inspection and handles changes such as share transfers, director appointments and constitutional amendments. For a holding vehicle with no staff, the CSP is effectively the entity's administrative function.
Is ADGM better than DIFC for a holding company or SPV?
Neither is universally better, and any adviser who answers that question without asking what the vehicle will hold is guessing. ADGM applies English common law directly, which is familiar to English-law practitioners and useful where documentation is already drafted to that standard. DIFC has its own codified body of law and a longer-established registry. The decision usually turns on what the vehicle holds, where the counterparties and lenders sit, whether the structure is part of a wider group already in one centre, and the banking relationships available.
Can a foreign investor own an ADGM company outright?
Yes. ADGM permits full foreign ownership across its structures, with no requirement for a local partner or sponsor. Ownership can be held by individuals, corporates, foundations or trusts, subject to beneficial ownership disclosure to the Registration Authority and to the usual verification a CSP and a bank will carry out.
How long does ADGM incorporation take?
For a straightforward SPV or private company with clean documentation, incorporation is typically a matter of days rather than weeks. What extends it is document legalisation for foreign corporate shareholders, layered or trust ownership requiring more verification, and, for regulated activity, FSRA authorisation, which runs on its own timeline. Bank account opening is a separate process outside ADGM's control and is frequently the longest step.
Does an ADGM company pay UAE corporate tax?
An ADGM entity is within the UAE corporate tax regime and must register with the Federal Tax Authority, including where it is a passive holding vehicle that does not trade. Whether tax is actually payable depends on whether the entity meets the Qualifying Free Zone Person conditions and on the character of its income. Registration is required regardless of the outcome, and the deadline is not extended by the entity being dormant.
Establishing something in ADGM?
Tell us what the structure needs to hold and what it needs to achieve. We will tell you whether ADGM is the right centre, which vehicle fits, and what administering it will involve.