Abu Dhabi Launches FIDA Cluster To Drive Future Finance

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 (Bernama) -- Abu Dhabi has unveiled the FinTech, Insurance, Digital and Alternative Assets (FIDA) cluster, a major new initiative aimed at accelerating next-generation financial innovation and strengthening the emirate’s role as a global capital hub.

Spearheaded by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), FIDA forms a core pillar of the emirate’s long-term economic diversification strategy, according to a statement.

By 2045, the cluster is expected to add US$15.2 billion to the gross domestic product (GDP), create 8,000 skilled jobs, and attract around US$4.6 billion in investment. (US$1=RM4.10)

FIDA consolidates high-growth sectors where technology, regulation and capital converge, including fintech, digital assets, insurance, reinsurance and alternative investments. The cluster offers global firms a stable, forward-looking jurisdiction to design, test and scale new financial products.

The cluster will accelerate institutional-grade digital asset infrastructure, expand insurance and reinsurance capacity, establish long-term savings frameworks and broaden small and medium-sized enterprises’ access to funding through alternative lending, venture debt and growth capital.

Green and transition finance will anchor FIDA’s sustainability agenda, supporting Abu Dhabi’s net-zero goals while expanding private equity, venture capital and real estate investment opportunities for global institutions.

FIDA will also support priority sectors such as food and water innovation, life sciences and mobility through tailored financing channels enabled by Abu Dhabi’s wider cluster ecosystem.

Underpinned by US$1.8 trillion in sovereign wealth and world-class regulatory frameworks, the emirate offers treaty-backed access to major global markets, enhancing FIDA’s appeal for financial innovators.

Regulators, sovereign investors, infrastructure providers, academic institutions and talent development partners form an integrated ecosystem that positions Abu Dhabi to lead in fintech, reinsurance and alternative assets.

FIDA reinforces the emirate’s emergence as a next-generation global financial centre and a preferred destination for firms building the future of finance.

-- BERNAMA