The Dubai Financial Market attracted 10 times more investors in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the five-year period before 2019, Hamed Ali, CEO of DFM, said.
Ali was sharing insights into the remarkable growth and diversification of the market’s investor base during a panel discussion at the 2nd Capital Markets Summit 2024. With a focus on attracting a diverse investor base and expanding opportunities for both established companies and startups, Ali outlined DFM’s ambitious plans to further enhance its position in the global financial landscape.
Ali kicked off the discussion by unveiling staggering statistics regarding the influx of new investors into DFM. In the last two years alone, DFM has exceeded annual records in attracting new investors. Last year, 73 percent of DFM’s investors were international investors. Notably, the market attracted nearly 44,000 new investors in the first quarter of 2024, with around 85 percent of them being international investors.
Ali pointed to the increasing prominence of Gulf exchanges in the emerging markets index as a testament to the confidence in attracting high-quality liquidity.
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Moreover, DFM’s CEO highlighted the listings the market has witnessed, citing that eight initial public offerings (IPOs) raised almost AED35 billion in capital, with subscription requests exceeding AED1 trillion.
“Due to the high demand for IPOs, we are moving towards opening up additional sectors and focusing on the pre-IPO stage,” Ali stated. Moreover, DFM is aiming to expand beyond established companies and focus on supporting startups in the pre-IPO stage. Hence, it aims to provide startups with a platform to raise capital and access investors, further bolstering Dubai’s position as a startup and investment hub.
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