ADGM Academy trained 2,244 UAE nationals during 2025, pushing the total number of Emiratis supported through its national development programmes to 10,779 since the initiatives began in 2019.
That is a sizeable number, but the wider story is not simply about how many people attended a course.
The academy is becoming part of Abu Dhabi’s broader effort to build a workforce that can keep pace with a financial sector changing faster than traditional education systems usually do. Artificial intelligence, digital assets, cybersecurity and financial regulation are no longer specialist subjects sitting on the edge of the industry. They are moving closer to the centre.
ADGM Academy’s 2025 Annual Report shows how that shift is shaping its programmes, partnerships and research activity.
ADGM Academy UAE National Training Reaches 10,779 People
The academy’s national development programmes have now trained 10,779 Emiratis since 2019, including the 2,244 UAE nationals who participated during 2025.
The cumulative figure gives a clearer picture than the annual number alone. This has moved beyond a small graduate programme or a limited series of financial workshops. ADGM Academy is now working across multiple stages of career development, from preparing jobseekers for private-sector roles to helping experienced professionals build more specialised capabilities.
Its School of National Development focuses on structured learning, professional qualifications and practical exposure. The aim is fairly direct: help UAE nationals enter high-demand sectors and remain employable as those industries evolve.
That last part matters. Hiring Emirati talent is one target. Creating credible, long-term career paths is much harder.
More Than 250 Training Sessions Were Delivered in 2025
ADGM Academy delivered more than 250 training sessions to over 5,000 participants during the year.
Those sessions reached beyond UAE national development programmes. Professionals, government entities, financial institutions and organisations from neighbouring industries were also involved.
The academy additionally hosted 120 industry events attended by more than 3,000 professionals. Regulators, academic institutions, government bodies and business leaders were brought into the same space for discussions, technical learning and professional development.
It is easy for industry events to become polished networking exercises with little lasting value. The numbers here suggest something broader. ADGM Academy appears to be positioning itself as a meeting point between education, regulation and real business demand.
That connection is important in Abu Dhabi, where the growth of the financial centre is creating demand for people who understand both global industry standards and the UAE market.
Artificial Intelligence and Digital Finance Move Into the Classroom
Some of the academy’s newer programmes focused on artificial intelligence, digital finance, wealth management, governance and future skills.
Those subjects are not random additions to make a course catalogue look modern.
Banks, asset managers, fintech companies and regulatory teams are already dealing with AI-assisted decision-making, automated compliance systems, digital payment platforms and increasingly complex cybersecurity threats. Hiring people with general business knowledge is no longer enough for many roles.
ADGM Academy’s schools now cover areas including artificial intelligence, banking and finance, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, law, sustainable finance, taxation, treasury, and wealth and asset management.
The academy is essentially trying to shorten the distance between what employers need and what professionals currently know.
That gap can become expensive when a market grows quickly.
Research Expands Into AI, Web3 and Cybersecurity
Training was only one part of ADGM Academy’s activity in 2025.
The academy published 11 research papers covering artificial intelligence, digital assets, Web3, cybersecurity, payments, financial crime compliance and financial regulation.
These are areas where rules, technologies and market expectations can change before a conventional textbook reaches print. Research gives the academy another way to contribute, particularly when regulators and financial companies are trying to make decisions without years of historical evidence.
The work also supports Abu Dhabi’s push to be seen as more than a place where financial companies register licences. A global financial centre needs legal expertise, technical knowledge, credible research and a steady supply of skilled professionals around it.
The buildings and business registrations are the visible part. Human capability is quieter, but probably harder to replace.
International Accreditations Add Weight to the Programmes
ADGM Academy secured nine global accreditations during 2025, while reporting student satisfaction of 94 percent and client satisfaction of 86 percent.
Satisfaction scores should always be read carefully. They do not automatically prove that every programme delivered long-term career results.
Still, international accreditation gives employers and participants a clearer benchmark. It means the qualifications and training pathways are more likely to carry value beyond a single organisation or local course provider.
For professionals working in finance, compliance, treasury or wealth management, recognised credentials can influence hiring and promotion decisions. The badge matters because employers need some way to judge whether a candidate’s training was rigorous.
Twelve New Partnerships Broaden ADGM Academy’s Reach
The academy established 12 new strategic partnerships with international institutions, regulators and industry organisations during the year.
Partnership announcements can sometimes feel vague. In education, though, they can determine who designs the programme, whether the content reflects real industry requirements and whether participants gain access to internationally recognised qualifications.
ADGM Academy has previously worked with government bodies, universities, financial institutions and private-sector employers. Its wider model brings those groups together rather than treating education as something that happens separately from the workplace.
That structure also supports Emiratisation.
Employers do not simply receive candidates who have completed classroom training. The academy’s national development approach includes certifications, practical learning and exposure to the working environments participants are expected to enter.
Abu Dhabi’s Financial Growth Needs a Deeper Talent Pipeline
ADGM continues to grow as Abu Dhabi’s international financial centre, attracting banks, fintech companies, investment firms, asset managers and professional services businesses.
More companies create more jobs, but they also create more competition for people with specialised skills.
Compliance officers, AI professionals, cybersecurity specialists, risk managers and digital finance experts cannot be produced overnight. The people may already be in the workforce, but they still need opportunities to reskill.
That is where ADGM Academy’s role becomes more strategic.
The academy is not simply teaching finance. It is helping prepare the workforce around Abu Dhabi’s financial ecosystem, including professionals who may later work in government, regulation, technology or industries connected to financial services.
ADGM Academy Plans to Expand Access and Research
ADGM Academy said it would continue widening access to international education, accelerating research and strengthening collaboration between government, academia and industry.
The language sounds familiar because most training institutions make similar promises.
The difference is that demand is already there. Abu Dhabi is attracting more financial businesses, AI is changing job requirements, and Emiratisation remains a national priority. The academy is operating where those pressures meet.
Training 2,244 UAE nationals in one year is the headline figure.
The more interesting number may be 10,779. It shows that the work has been building for several years, programme by programme, rather than arriving as a single campaign.
Sources
- Economy Middle East: ADGM Academy trains 2,244 UAE nationals in 2025
- Emirates News Agency: ADGM Academy programmes benefit 2,244 UAE nationals
- ADGM Academy: Official website
- ADGM Academy School of National Development: Official programme page