---
id: 8103
title: "Abu Dhabi Global Market: Best International Financial Centre EMEA 2020"
award_year: 2020
published: 2020-08-12 13:16:57
published_gmt: 2020-08-12 12:16:57
author: "CFI.co Editorial"
url: "https://cfi.co/awards/middle-east/2020/abu-dhabi-global-market-best-international-financial-centre-emea-2020/"
categories: ["Development", "Finance", "Government", "Middle East", "Professional Services"]
content_class: award_rationale
independence_status: independent_editorial
sponsor_disclosure: none
editorial_lens: constructive_positive_lens
historical_status: current_at_publication
correction_status: none
archive_policy: no_delete
provenance_layer: github_versioned
wayback_status: archived
wayback_first_snapshot: 20200923104714
wayback_snapshot_url: "http://web.archive.org/web/20200923104714/https://cfi.co/awards/middle-east/2020/abu-dhabi-global-market-best-international-financial-centre-emea-2020/"
license: CFI-OAAL-1.0
content_sha256: 24eb56a61e7ec1833dcb0aa45f3d9de7379820085a3e42077b23f4db917db696
canonical: 8103-abu-dhabi-global-market-best-international-financial-centre-emea-2020.json
---
# Abu Dhabi Global Market: Best International Financial Centre EMEA 2020
> Verbatim archived copy. Canonical machine record: `8103-abu-dhabi-global-market-best-international-financial-centre-emea-2020.json`.
In the short span of five years, Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) has earned a reputation as an innovative, responsive and business-friendly international financial centre (IFC). Some of the world’s top businesses call the free zone home, and ADGM listens attentively to understand and anticipate their needs. Its jurisdiction stretches across the 114-hectare island of Al Maryah, where a collection of residences, restaurants and retail shops allow a healthy work-life balance. ADGM collaborates with regional and international partners to achieve global and regional breakthroughs, including the world’s first digital courtroom, and the first Virtual Asset Regulatory Framework. ADGM introduced digital and fintech “regulatory sandboxes” to give entrepreneurs a safe space to experiment, and recently became the first jurisdiction in the MENA region to apply British common law. Three divisions — the Registration Authority, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority and ADGM Courts — have together elevated ADGM’s status as a leading IFC with a regulatory, judicial and dispute resolution system that upholds international best-practice. ADGM has benefited from its enviable geographic location to open new avenues into China to increase collaboration, connectivity and shared economic growth. The CFI.co judging panel congratulates ADGM on accomplishing in a few short years what others have struggled to do in a lifetime. The judges present Abu Dhabi Global Market, a repeat CFI.co winner, with the 2020 award for Best International Financial Centre (EMEA).