Company Insights Dubai Financial Market (DFM) Markets Dubai Financial Market (DFM) Overview Dubai Financial Market (DFM) is one of three stock exchanges in the UAE. Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange also lists mostly UAE companies and Nasdaq Dubai was set up to trade international stocks DFM lists equities, bonds, sukuk, exchange traded funds and real estate investment trusts. It listings include Air Arabia, Commercial Bank of Dubai, Drake & Scull International, Emaar Properties and DP World. The exchange, along with ADX, is governed and regulated by the UAE Securities and Commodities Authority, which has the authority to impose laws and standards to ensure that the laws are followed by the exchanges and protect investors’, brokers’ and listed companies’ rights. In 2024, Dubai Financial Market’s market cap rose 32 percent to AED 907 billion, and it onboarded more than 138,000 new investors, 85 percent of whom were foreign nationals. It listed three new IPOs, including that of the grocer Spinneys, raising almost AED 10.5 billion. The ultimate parent and controlling party is the government of Dubai, which owns 80 percent of DFM through Borse Dubai Limited. Dubai Financial Market (DFM) News EXCLUSIVE Real Estate Dubai Investments plans IPO before year end, says CEO Dubai Investments is preparing to sell shares in four subsidiaries to the public and may list one of them before the year end, its CEO Khalid bin Kalban has told AGBI. The government-backed company manages AED22.1 billion ($6 billion) of assets in the UAE and beyond, in sectors including real estate, construction and building materials […] April 22, 2025 Markets Population burst bolsters Dubai’s listed companies Listed companies in Dubai were on average the most profitable last year among the Gulf exchanges as the emirate’s banking, real estate and telecom sectors benefited from its expanding population. Net profit at Dubai’s listed companies totalled $25.4 billion, up 16 percent compared with the year before, according to a report by Kuwaiti asset manager […] April 21, 2025 Economy Aramco losses mirror wider Saudi stock plunge The Saudi stock market opened at more than 2 percent lower on Monday to a 17-month low, following its biggest single one-day drop since the 2008 financial crisis. The Tadawul All Share Index (Tasi) tumbled by about 1,025 points or 8.6 percent following US President Donald Trump’s announcement last week of a minimum 10 percent […] April 7, 2025 Finance Dubai’s ICD could tap IPO market to fund expansion The Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), the principal investment arm of the emirate’s government, could potentially turn to the capital markets with a raft of listings over the next year or so, according to analysts. Established in 2006, ICD is worth about $340 billion and already has one of its crown jewels – Emirates NBD, […] April 7, 2025 Real Estate Emaar’s overseas units struggle to match home gains Dubai real estate developer Emaar Properties is doing well at home but its international operations – notably in India – are more chequered. Last year, Emaar posted a near 50 percent increase in earnings to AED5 billion ($1.4 billion). Its shares on the Dubai Financial Market are up 5.5 percent so far this year. By […] March 28, 2025 Construction Drake & Scull swings to $1bn profit post-restructuring Drake & Scull International turned a profit last year following the completion of its restructuring plan. The contracting company, which trades on the Dubai Financial Market, swung to a net profit of AED4 billion ($1 billion) last year, compared to a net loss of AED367 million in 2023. Revenue marked a 20 percent rise to […] March 27, 2025 Analysis Banking & Finance Riyadh’s financial ambitions bump up against hard reality Saudi Arabia wants to emulate London or Hong Kong in the international money markets and become a global financial centre, Saudi investment minister Khalid Al-Falih said at a capital markets conference in Riyadh in February. “We need to channel global capital,” he said. “We want to become a regional financial hub.” But judging by the […] March 26, 2025 Aviation Air Arabia declares 25% dividend as revenue soars UAE low-cost airline Air Arabia has increased its dividend payout after turnover grew by double-digits in 2024, the company said in a statement. Based in Sharjah and traded on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM), Air Arabia will pay a 25 percent cash dividend or AED1.2 billion to shareholders. The company’s shares have risen 11 percent […] March 18, 2025 Logistics Kuwait’s Agility pays out $30m over scrap site dispute Kuwaiti logistics company Agility Public Warehousing has paid out nearly KD9 million ($29.2 million) after losing a 2021 court case over leasing a plot of land in Kuwait used as a scrap site. “With this payment, the company will have fully executed the aforementioned ruling in favour of the Public Authority for Industry,” Agility said […] March 17, 2025 Giga-projects Billionaire calls for review of Egyptian mega-projects Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris said his country’s mega-projects should be reconsidered to save money as they require a lot of foreign currency. “I will be polite and I would say we have an overambitious president who is doing mega projects that are requiring a lot of foreign currency and we should have a second look […] February 27, 2025 Posts navigation 1 2 … 19 Next
EXCLUSIVE Real Estate Dubai Investments plans IPO before year end, says CEO Dubai Investments is preparing to sell shares in four subsidiaries to the public and may list one of them before the year end, its CEO Khalid bin Kalban has told AGBI. The government-backed company manages AED22.1 billion ($6 billion) of assets in the UAE and beyond, in sectors including real estate, construction and building materials […] April 22, 2025
Markets Population burst bolsters Dubai’s listed companies Listed companies in Dubai were on average the most profitable last year among the Gulf exchanges as the emirate’s banking, real estate and telecom sectors benefited from its expanding population. Net profit at Dubai’s listed companies totalled $25.4 billion, up 16 percent compared with the year before, according to a report by Kuwaiti asset manager […] April 21, 2025
Economy Aramco losses mirror wider Saudi stock plunge The Saudi stock market opened at more than 2 percent lower on Monday to a 17-month low, following its biggest single one-day drop since the 2008 financial crisis. The Tadawul All Share Index (Tasi) tumbled by about 1,025 points or 8.6 percent following US President Donald Trump’s announcement last week of a minimum 10 percent […] April 7, 2025
Finance Dubai’s ICD could tap IPO market to fund expansion The Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), the principal investment arm of the emirate’s government, could potentially turn to the capital markets with a raft of listings over the next year or so, according to analysts. Established in 2006, ICD is worth about $340 billion and already has one of its crown jewels – Emirates NBD, […] April 7, 2025
Real Estate Emaar’s overseas units struggle to match home gains Dubai real estate developer Emaar Properties is doing well at home but its international operations – notably in India – are more chequered. Last year, Emaar posted a near 50 percent increase in earnings to AED5 billion ($1.4 billion). Its shares on the Dubai Financial Market are up 5.5 percent so far this year. By […] March 28, 2025
Construction Drake & Scull swings to $1bn profit post-restructuring Drake & Scull International turned a profit last year following the completion of its restructuring plan. The contracting company, which trades on the Dubai Financial Market, swung to a net profit of AED4 billion ($1 billion) last year, compared to a net loss of AED367 million in 2023. Revenue marked a 20 percent rise to […] March 27, 2025
Analysis Banking & Finance Riyadh’s financial ambitions bump up against hard reality Saudi Arabia wants to emulate London or Hong Kong in the international money markets and become a global financial centre, Saudi investment minister Khalid Al-Falih said at a capital markets conference in Riyadh in February. “We need to channel global capital,” he said. “We want to become a regional financial hub.” But judging by the […] March 26, 2025
Aviation Air Arabia declares 25% dividend as revenue soars UAE low-cost airline Air Arabia has increased its dividend payout after turnover grew by double-digits in 2024, the company said in a statement. Based in Sharjah and traded on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM), Air Arabia will pay a 25 percent cash dividend or AED1.2 billion to shareholders. The company’s shares have risen 11 percent […] March 18, 2025
Logistics Kuwait’s Agility pays out $30m over scrap site dispute Kuwaiti logistics company Agility Public Warehousing has paid out nearly KD9 million ($29.2 million) after losing a 2021 court case over leasing a plot of land in Kuwait used as a scrap site. “With this payment, the company will have fully executed the aforementioned ruling in favour of the Public Authority for Industry,” Agility said […] March 17, 2025
Giga-projects Billionaire calls for review of Egyptian mega-projects Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris said his country’s mega-projects should be reconsidered to save money as they require a lot of foreign currency. “I will be polite and I would say we have an overambitious president who is doing mega projects that are requiring a lot of foreign currency and we should have a second look […] February 27, 2025