How to check an ADGM / FSRA broker

Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) is a financial free zone with its own regulator: the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). It sits alongside — not under — the UAE's onshore regulator (the CMA, formerly SCA) and Dubai's DFSA. So a broker that says it's "ADGM regulated" or "FSRA authorised" needs to be checked on the FSRA's own register.

Using the FSRA Public Register

1. Open the ADGM website directly and find the FSRA Public Register. Type the address yourself rather than trusting a broker's link.
2. Select "Firms" and search the firm's exact legal name — not just its brand or trading name.
3. Open the record and review the details.

What the FSRA record shows

An FSRA firm record generally includes:

• Legal name and contact details
• Regulatory status
• The firm's Financial Services Permission (FSP) — the specific regulated activities it may carry out
• Approved individuals, where shown
• Any restrictions, dates or historical status

The permission is the point

Just like the other UAE registers, the key isn't only whether the firm appears — it's what it's permitted to do. The FSP lists the exact regulated activities. Make sure it covers the product and service being offered to you (for instance dealing in investments or holding client assets), and read any conditions. A firm can be genuinely authorised yet not permitted for the specific service you have in mind.

ADGM registration is not FSRA authorisation

This is the ADGM version of a trap that exists in the DIFC too. A company can be registered in ADGM (with the Registration Authority) without being authorised by the FSRA to provide financial services. Registration means the company legally exists in ADGM; authorisation means it's licensed to do regulated business. For a broker, you need the second thing. So use:

• The FSRA Public Register to confirm financial-services authorisation and the permitted activities, and
• The ADGM Registration Authority register to confirm the company is incorporated there.

Don't let "we're an ADGM company" stand in for "we're FSRA-regulated to broker for you."

Match the exact entity, and check alerts

Confirm the entity named in your account paperwork is the one on the FSRA register — not a similarly named affiliate. It's also worth checking the FSRA's regulatory alerts page, where it publishes warnings about unlicensed firms, impersonation and misleading claims. The FSRA notes it tries to keep the register current but doesn't guarantee every entry is complete, so if anything looks inconsistent, contact the regulator directly.

If the firm isn't there

A broker claiming ADGM/FSRA regulation that you can't find on the FSRA Public Register — or that offers services beyond its listed permission — is one to avoid until it's clarified. Check the onshore CMA/SCA list and the DFSA register too; if it's on none of them, don't fund it.