Dubai bourse market cap climbs 9.7% to $271bn in H1
The gains came alongside a sharp 298 percent increase in net profit before tax, which reached 777.1 million dirhams, the exchange said in its financial statement published via state news agency WAM.
Consolidated revenue jumped 191 percent to 888.9 million dirhams, while expenses excluding tax held steady at 111.8 million dirhams compared to 110.3 million dirhams a year earlier.
The strong performance reflects broader momentum across Gulf Cooperation Council capital markets, with combined capitalization surpassing $4.2 trillion by end-2024. The Saudi Exchange alone reached SAR 9.13 trillion ($2.43 trillion) in equity market capitalization in H1 2025.
Helal Saeed Al-Marri, chairman of DFM, said: 'DFM delivered a positive performance in the first half of 2025, underpinned by growing market depth and investor engagement.'
The DFM General Index also advanced 10.6 percent in the first half, reflecting both local market resilience and a broader global shift toward growth-oriented economies.
'The rise in the DFM General Index, alongside sustained participation from institutional and foreign investors, is set against the backdrop of a dynamic Dubai economy, where record real estate activity, growing hedge fund presence, and increased capital flows have reinforced the emirate's status as a global financial hub,' added Al-Marri.
According to WAM, DFM's average daily traded value rose 75 percent year-on-year to dirhams 692 million in the first half, with total traded value climbing 77 percent to 85 billion dirhams. The average number of daily trades increased 37 percent to around 13,900.
DFM also onboarded 53,655 new investors in the first half, 84 percent of whom were foreign, bringing the total investor base to over 1.2 million.
Institutional activity accounted for 71 percent of total trading, with foreign investors contributing 53 percent of volume and holding 20 percent of market capitalization.
'DFM's performance in the first half of 2025 reflects a market evolving with purpose, demonstrating steady progress in executing our strategic initiatives and maintaining investor confidence,' said Hamed Ali, CEO of DFM and Nasdaq Dubai.
He added: 'As we expand access to new products and deepen market infrastructure, DFM remains a magnet for capital and a launchpad for the region's most ambitious issuers.'
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