How Much Does It Cost to Set Up in ADGM in 2026? Full Breakdown

Ask "how much does ADGM cost?" and you'll usually get one intimidating number that helps nobody plan. The useful figure is the itemised one — because once you see the parts, you can tell which are fixed and which you control. Here's the honest breakdown. (Figures are indicative, based on published fee schedules at the time of writing; always confirm the current numbers.)

The fixed-ish costs (set by ADGM)

• Incorporation: a one-time fee of roughly USD 1,500.
• Annual commercial licence, by category: around USD 15,000 for financial services (Category A), about USD 10,300 for non-financial activities (Category B), and roughly USD 6,000 for retail (Category C). Renewals run somewhat lower.
• Tech startup licence: far less — about USD 1,000/year at seed stage, moving to ~USD 4,300 at emergent stage (after the Hub71 eligibility step).
• Data protection registration: about USD 300 in year one, ~USD 100 a year after.
• Visas & establishment card: per-visa government costs once licensed.

ADGM reduced commercial licence fees from January 2025 and has signalled no increase for 2026.

The line you actually control: the office

The office is where your choices move the total. Format (desk vs private office vs lease) and location (Al Reem vs Al Maryah) can swing year-one premises cost dramatically — for the identical licence:

• Dedicated desk: AED 1,200/month with us on Al Reem vs about AED 3,500 on Al Maryah.
• Private office: from roughly AED 5,000/month in the core; competitively quoted on Al Reem.
• Day pass: AED 100/day.

A sample year-one budget (non-regulated company)

A small Category B consultancy with a two-person team on one desk: incorporation (~USD 1,500 one-off) + licence (~USD 10,300) + data protection (~USD 300) + visas + office. On Al Reem the office is about AED 14,400/year; on Al Maryah closer to AED 42,000. Same licence, same everything — except roughly AED 27,600 saved on premises alone.

Where firms overspend

The classic mistake is treating the office as fixed and defaulting to expensive space — a private office or Al Maryah lease when a desk on Al Reem would meet the requirement. The opposite error: regulated firms assuming a desk will do when the FSRA expects a private office. Match the space to the entity, then optimise the location.

For the space side: ADGM office costs explained and the cheapest way to get an ADGM address.

Talk to MY Coworking

Our office packages start at AED 1,200/month — the controllable line, kept low. Tell us your structure and licence category and we will price the space precisely.

We're on Al Reem Island — 2312 Addax Tower, City of Lights, Abu Dhabi. Email contact@mycoworking.ae to book a tour or get a same-day quote.