The Bhutanese Leading the way.
His Majesty The King of Bhutan, visited ADGM, the international financial centre of the UAE capital – Abu Dhabi. The delegation was hosted by Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of ADGM, together with members of the ADGM senior leadership team.
This visit by His Majesty follows the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in April 2025 between the GMC Authority (GMCA) and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM, to establish a framework for cooperation between the two authorities in relation to financial services and innovation.
During the visit, His Majesty and Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi discussed how GMC can serve as a platform and gateway to support ADGM firms’ expansion into GMC and the South Asia region – home to almost two billion people.
Likewise, ADGM can support GMC firms’ global growth ambitions in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, and the wider MENA region. Both GMC and ADGM utilise English Common Law frameworks and global best practices, and support technologically innovative businesses, which provides even greater support to enterprises seeking to establish a presence in both jurisdictions.
HB Lim, Managing Director of the GMC Authority, said: “GMC and ADGM are forward-looking jurisdictions committed to driving the growth of financial services across traditional finance, FinTech and digital assets. This visit by the GMC delegation to ADGM marks an important first step in establishing links between the two jurisdictions. We look forward to working closely with ADGM to support the vibrant growth of businesses in each other’s jurisdictions.”
Emmanuel Givanakis, CEO of the FSRA of ADGM, said: “ADGM is pleased to establish a regulatory relationship with GMC to facilitate cooperation and collaboration. Our partnership provides a strong foundation to develop opportunities that may support the expansion of GMC firms from the South Asian region into Abu Dhabi and the wider MENA region. Similarly, it has the potential to create future opportunities for ADGM firms to expand into South Asia.”
