ADGM FSRA Regulatory Laboratory (RegLab)
ADGM’s FSRA Regulatory Laboratory (RegLab) is Abu Dhabi’s live fintech sandbox. It is not a coworking membership. Accepted firms get a tailored Financial Services Permission to test a real product with real customers inside ADGM under a lighter, time-boxed rule set — typically up to two years. The official starting point is ADGM’s fintech desk, not a self-serve form. It is evergreen: there is no cohort close date. You need a concrete product, a testing plan, and a reason ADGM is the right jurisdiction. If you only want a cheap Abu Dhabi company, that is the Tech Startup Licence, not RegLab.
DESK TAKE
Use this when you already have something to put in front of customers and a regulator will otherwise block the test. It is a permission, not a grant and not Hub71. If your “fintech” is a landing page, they will send you away.
ELIGIBILITY
ADGM's fintech regulatory sandbox for live-testing innovative financial technology under FSRA supervision. - Open to all fintech participants, from startups to existing regulated firms, local or international - Must demonstrate a genuinely innovative technological solution that is developed and ready for testing - Solution should not already fall under standard regulated activities (else apply for a full licence) and should benefit the UAE financial sector - Requires a testing plan, risk safeguards and a fair exit strategy for clients - Process starts with engagement with the FSRA FinTech team (fintech@adgm.com), then the RegLab Application Form
QUESTIONS
Is RegLab an accelerator?
No. It is a regulatory testing permission in ADGM. There is no cohort demo day baked in.
Do I need a licence first?
RegLab is the licence path for the test. You still need an ADGM entity story. Read the FSRA page, then enquire.