UAE Funds Nearly Double to 97 as Capital Market Authority Courts Wider Investor Base

Al Awadhi said the regulator sees funds as one of the main drivers for deepening capital markets because they give savers an organised way to pool money and put it into investments.

Trading on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and the Dubai Financial Market totalled about AED 408 billion in the first nine months of 2026. Foreign investors accounted for 49% of that value, he said.

In 2025, initial public offerings raised about AED 7.3 billion and direct listings added AED 7.2 billion, bringing equity listings to about AED 14.5 billion. Green bonds and sukuk registered for listing reached about AED 8.6 billion.

Al Awadhi said the regulator's next phase centres on deepening capital markets, building the asset management industry and widening the investor base. The CMA is developing rules for digital financial products, asset tokenisation and AI, using a risk-based approach meant to allow innovation while protecting investors and market integrity. It is also simplifying licensing procedures.

The authority announced a virtual assets framework in April 2026 that expanded the number of regulated activities from three to eight, grouped into five regulatory modules. Al Awadhi said the focus is now on putting those requirements into practice.

The number of new companies licensed by the CMA rose 10% in the first nine months of 2026 from the same period last year, he said.

The regulator has also launched a programme with the Middle East Investor Relations Association to train more than 100 Emirati investor relations specialists, with the aim of improving communication between companies and investors.

On liquidity, Al Awadhi said the CMA wants more investment products, new listings and a bigger role for institutional investors. It also wants to make local and international markets easier to reach and to raise financial awareness among retail investors.