Executive Summary
The UAE Capital Market, as a whole, is the second largest in the GCC region. It constitutes about 20% of the market capitalization and about 19% of the value traded in the GCC. It comprises of 3 stock exchanges - Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), Dubai Financial Market (DFM), and Nasdaq Dubai. Along with Qatar, UAE was one of the first countries in GCC to be included in the MSCI EM Index in 2014. In addition to equity trading, while DFM's products include index futures, debt instruments, funds, ETFs, and REITs, ADX currently offers debt instruments, funds, and ETFs.
UAE allowed 100% ownership in companies by foreign nationals in 2019, viewed as a key initiative to boost investment in the country. UAE stock exchanges are undertaking initiatives such as increase in trading hours (ADX and DFM) and reduction in trading fees (ADX) to improve market liquidity. In line with focus on ESG investing, Securities and Commodities Exchange Authority (SCA) has made it mandatory for listed companies in UAE to publish sustainability reports.
