The Dubai Financial Market, overseeing the emirate’s stock exchange, reported a significant increase in trading volume during the first half of 2026, with a rise of nearly one-third year on year. This surge was largely attributed to robust participation from international investors.
The number of trades grew by 31% to 2.23M, while average daily trades saw a 35% increase.
The average daily traded value also rose substantially, climbing 45% YoY to exceed AED 1B (approximately $272M). Overall, the total traded value experienced a 40% boost in the first half of 2026.
New Investors
During this period, DFM welcomed 42,864 new investors, with international participants comprising 71% of these registrations.
The firm commented that this influx of institutional and international investors reflects their ongoing confidence in the quality of investment opportunities and the robustness of the market’s infrastructure.
Trade Up, Cash Flow Down
However, despite the rising trading activity, DFM faced challenges as its revenue declined by 37 percent compared to the first half of 2025, and net profit fell by 43% YoY.
The previous year’s results had been bolstered by a one-off income from the sale of an investment property.
DFM’s stock closed down 1.4% at AED 1.41 on Friday, marking a nearly 15% decline for the year to date.
Borse Dubai Limited holds an 80.66% stake in DFM, which is co-owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai (60%), Dubai Group (20%), and DIFC Investments (20%).
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