Websites for companies in ADGM and Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi
ADGM runs its own courts and publishes public registers, so a company website there is read against official records. Accuracy counts for more than flourish.
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) is Abu Dhabi's financial free zone, working on Al Maryah Island and, since April 2023, Al Reem Island, with its own authorities and directly applied English common law. A website for an ADGM company should state its entity and regulatory status exactly, lead in English and pass compliance review. Tooba Web builds such sites remotely from Istanbul.
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Key facts
- ADGM says it was inaugurated in late October 2015.
- ADGM's expansion on 24 April 2023 added Al Reem Island, for a combined area of 14.38 million sqm.
- ADGM was established under Abu Dhabi Law No. 4 of 2013 and applies English common law directly.
- ADGM's authorities are the Registration Authority, the FSRA, ADGM Courts and the ADGM Authority.
- ADGM reported 13,974 active licences and a workforce of 49,027 at the end of H1 2026.
- Al Maryah Island, formerly Sowwah Island, opened to the public in 2012.
What are ADGM and Al Maryah Island?
ADGM is a financial free zone in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and Al Maryah Island is where it began. Its own site says it was inaugurated in late October 2015 and that an expansion on 24 April 2023 added Al Reem Island, for a combined area of 14.38 million sqm. ADGM was established under federal legislation and Abu Dhabi Law No. 4 of 2013, with its own civil and commercial laws.
Wikipedia describes Al Maryah Island, formerly Sowwah Island, as the central business district of Abu Dhabi, opened to the public in 2012. ADGM names ADGM Square, The Galleria, Four Seasons Hotel Al Maryah, Rosewood Abu Dhabi and Cleveland Clinic among the district's landmarks.
Which authorities regulate and license ADGM entities?
ADGM has four bodies, and two of them matter most to a website owner: the Registration Authority and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). ADGM says its financial entities carry specific FSRA obligations in addition to those that apply to every registered entity.
| Body | Role according to ADGM |
|---|---|
| Registration Authority | Registration, incorporation and licensing of legal entities |
| FSRA | Regulatory framework and oversight for financial services |
| ADGM Courts | Courts of first instance and appeal applying English common law |
| ADGM Authority | Strategic and support functions |
Which kinds of organisation work in ADGM?
ADGM sorts its community into financial businesses, non-financial businesses, special purpose vehicles and retail. The examples below follow the headings on its business-areas page.
- Financial: banking and money services, capital markets, wealth and asset management, fintech and digital assets
- Non-financial: corporate headquarters and treasury, family offices, professional service providers and tech start-ups
- Special purpose vehicles, plus shops, dining and hospitality
ADGM's announcement of 8 September 2026 reports 13,974 active licences and a workforce of 49,027 across Al Maryah and Al Reem at the end of the first half of 2026. That mix suggests readers range from institutional investors to residents using the island's shops and clinics.
What should an ADGM company website get right?
The site should match the public record and say only what compliance has approved. ADGM keeps public registers, including a list of financial services firms, so any visitor can check a name and status. A mismatch between page and register looks careless.
| Business need | What the website should do |
|---|---|
| Show who you are | Use the registered legal name and entity type exactly as ADGM records them |
| Describe your activity | Cover only what your licence allows, in wording your compliance officer has signed off |
| Reach partners | Lead in English; add Arabic pages where partners prefer them |
| Be contactable | Offer a named route as well as a web form |
We do not write regulatory disclosures. Which rules apply to your content is a question for the FSRA or a lawyer.
What about shops, clinics and hotels on the island?
Businesses that serve walk-in visitors need a different site: hours, directions and bookings come first. ADGM lists retail and dining as a business area, and Wikipedia describes The Galleria shopping complex, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and two five-star hotels on the island. Map listings suit only a business with a real address there, which is the only case where we set them up.
Health and finance both have advertising rules, so wording about treatments or investments should be cleared with the relevant authority first. The Al Reem side of ADGM adds homes and schools, which call for the same care.
How does remote delivery from Istanbul work for an ADGM firm?
An ADGM company works with us entirely online, and the review cycle is built around your compliance sign-off. Tooba Web is a brand of Tuba Yazılım in Istanbul; we have no office, staff or Google Business Profile in the UAE. Istanbul is one hour behind Abu Dhabi, so a video call fits an ordinary working day.
Drafts arrive as links, comments go into one WhatsApp thread (+90 216 393 10 07) or email, and each revision round is logged before the next begins. Payment is by invoice and bank transfer. The work spans web design, hosting and SSL and search optimisation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ADGM and Al Maryah Island?
Al Maryah Island is the physical island where ADGM began. ADGM is the financial free zone, with its own authorities and English common law. Since 24 April 2023 its jurisdiction also covers Al Reem Island, so an ADGM address can now be on either island. Check which applies to your licence with the Registration Authority.
Who decides what an ADGM firm may publish on its website?
Your compliance function decides first, guided by the rules the regulator publishes, and the regulator has the final word. ADGM says financial entities carry FSRA obligations in addition to those for every registered entity. We are web designers, not legal advisers, so we build in a review step and leave interpretation to your compliance officer or a lawyer.
Can the website be in Arabic as well as English?
Yes. ADGM applies English common law, so English is the natural lead language. Arabic pages suit partners, suppliers and staff who prefer them, and we build both versions together, including right-to-left layouts. A fluent reader on your side should check the Arabic against the approved English text before launch.
Do you have an office on Al Maryah Island?
No. Tooba Web is a brand of Tuba Yazılım in Istanbul and works only remotely. We have no office, staff, address or Google Business Profile on Al Maryah Island or anywhere else in the UAE, and no link to ADGM, its authorities or any firm there. Everything happens by video call, WhatsApp and shared links.
Can you build a client portal for my firm?
We build custom web applications and dashboards, for example a document-sharing area or an internal reporting screen, scoped in writing first. Anything touching regulated activity, such as client money or investment advice, needs your compliance approval before work starts. We do not build online shops, mobile apps or cloud infrastructure projects.
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Sources
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