ADGM Event Permits on Al Maryah Island
Nexa Event secures Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) permits for events held inside the financial centre on Al Maryah Island — the event itself, its entertainment, its photography and its seminar sessions. This guide explains which permit covers what, and how we manage them alongside your Abu Dhabi event licence.
Updated August 2026
Who issues ADGM event permits?
Abu Dhabi Global Market is Abu Dhabi's international financial centre, established as a financial free zone by Federal Decree No. (15) of 2013 and by Abu Dhabi Law No. (4) of 2013. Activities organised inside it are permitted by ADGM itself, and those permits sit alongside the emirate-level licensing an event may also need.
Which events need an ADGM permit?
ADGM defines an event as any activity organised on Al Maryah Island, whether recreational, marketing, sporting, artistic or educational. Four permits cover what an event usually involves: the Events and Exhibition Permit for the event itself; the Entertainment Permit for performers, including singers, dancers and artists; the Photography Permit for indoor and outdoor photography activations; and the Trainings and Seminars Permit for anyone speaking to an audience on a given topic.
Documents typically required
Applications commonly include the event concept and programme with its dates and timings, venue confirmation and a no-objection from the building or mall management, details of the performers, speakers or photographers where those permits apply, and the emirate-level approvals the event depends on.
How the process works
What ADGM assesses is the activity itself — what is being held, where inside the district, when, and who is taking part — and each permit is considered against the activity it covers. Queries are answered during the review, and the permits must be in place before the event opens. Nexa Event carries the applications through to approval.
How Nexa Event helps
We work out which of the four permits your event actually needs, prepare and carry the applications, and sequence them with your Abu Dhabi event licence and any other approvals so nothing blocks the build or the opening — alongside registration, production, branding and staffing for the event itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an ADGM permit take?
It depends on which permits your event needs and how complete the submission is. We file as early as the programme allows, track each application through to approval, and confirm the current turnaround when we scope the event.
Which ADGM permit does my event need?
Often more than one. The Events and Exhibition Permit covers the event itself; entertainment, photography, and training or seminar sessions each have their own permit. We identify the set your programme needs before filing.
Is an ADGM permit the same as an Abu Dhabi event licence?
No. An ADGM permit covers the activity inside Abu Dhabi Global Market. Where your event also needs emirate-level licensing, we run both so the approvals land in the right order.
Do photography and entertainment need separate permits?
Yes. ADGM lists them as separate permits, so a launch with a photographer and a performer needs both alongside the event permit. We file them together.
Do we need an ADGM-registered company to get the permits?
Event permits in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah are applied under Nexa Event's own trade licences; for certain permit categories, additional requirements apply — we confirm exactly what is needed for your event.