Hamed Ali Highlights Dubai’s AED1 Trillion Capital Market Growth in GDMO’s New International Media Briefing Series
Dubai’s Government Media Office (GDMO) has initiated a new International Media Briefing series aimed at providing global media representatives with insights into the vision and initiatives that are shaping Dubai’s future. The inaugural session featured Hamed Ali, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and Nasdaq Dubai, who discussed the evolution of Dubai’s capital markets and the strategic frameworks that support its emergence as a global financial hub.
Overview of Dubai’s Capital Market Transformation
During the briefing, Hamed Ali provided an extensive overview of the performance of both DFM, the emirate’s primary equity exchange, and Nasdaq Dubai, which specializes in international listings and fixed-income instruments. He emphasized the distinct roles each exchange plays in serving various issuer bases.
Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council, highlighted the purpose of the International Media Briefing series. She stated that it aims to foster meaningful dialogue and provide deeper insights into the themes that will shape Dubai’s future. This initiative allows international media to engage directly with leaders in the emirate’s development.
Long-Term Strategies for Market Development
Hamed Ali articulated Dubai’s long-term vision for capital market development. He underscored the significance of regulatory innovation, robust market infrastructure, and sustained investor confidence as critical components driving growth. The discussion also touched on Dubai’s initiatives to broaden market participation, emphasizing the role of innovation and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, in enhancing the competitiveness and resilience of the financial markets.
Ali noted that DFM’s market capitalization has exceeded AED1 trillion, marking a remarkable 191% growth since 2020. The DFM General Index also demonstrated a robust performance, achieving a 17.2% growth in 2025, with average daily trading values surpassing AED1 billion.
Capital Raising and Investor Engagement
Over the past four years, DFM has facilitated AED47 billion in capital raising through 12 initial public offerings, attracting AED1.3 trillion in investor demand and welcoming over 465,000 new investors. Ali introduced Arena, DFM’s next-generation capital-raising platform, designed to enhance Dubai’s private capital ecosystem and support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and high-growth companies. This platform aims to connect issuers with DFM’s extensive investor base of more than 1.2 million, creating new avenues for growth.
Nasdaq Dubai’s Performance and Innovations
Turning to Nasdaq Dubai, Ali reported that the exchange has recorded 33 new fixed-income listings valued at US$13.8 billion since the start of 2026, with international issuers making up 40% of that total. The current outstanding value of sukuk listed on the exchange stands at US$98.6 billion, reinforcing Dubai’s status as a leading global center for sukuk and debt capital markets.
Ali also highlighted the success of the Sovereign Retail T-Sukuk Programme, the UAE’s first sovereign sukuk aimed at retail investors. The inaugural issuance was increased from AED50 million to AED100 million due to strong investor demand, with the offering being oversubscribed nine times and attracting AED445 million in subscription requests from 18,422 applications. This programme is now listed on Nasdaq Dubai and is actively trading on the secondary market.
Commitment to Market Confidence and Growth
Hamed Ali stated that every initiative pursued by DFM is guided by a long-term vision to create a more dynamic and accessible capital market. He emphasized that market confidence is built on transparency, innovation, and consistent execution. His commitment is to ensure that Dubai remains a platform where businesses can thrive, investors can engage with confidence, and capital can flow efficiently.
Hend Fekri, Director of Strategic Media Relations at GDMO, remarked that this initiative is designed to provide international media with firsthand insights from leaders in Dubai’s key sectors. Such conversations are expected to foster lasting relationships and enrich the understanding of Dubai’s ongoing development.
The International Media Briefing series will continue throughout the year as part of GDMO’s efforts to enhance engagement with international media by facilitating informed discussions with senior government officials and industry leaders.
Source: www.emirates247.com
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Published on 2026-07-08 21:25:00 • By the Editorial Desk
