Capital Markets

While it has been another challenging year for Abu Dhabi’s capital market, some developments in the fixed-income segment, new equities listings and a raft of regulations that promise to add more depth to the market have ensured that it was also an interesting one. The significant regulatory steps taken over the past year, supplemented by a pipeline of reforms still to come, form the framework for the future expansion of the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX). Yet more functionality will come with an upgraded trading platform planned for the second half of 2013. Of course, like all exchanges in the region, the ADX faces a challenge in attracting new listings and liquidity, but while mixed results are expected in the short term, the long-term prospects of the ADX remain as strong as ever. This chapter includes interviews with Rashed Al Baloushi, CEO, Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX); and Nazem Al Kudsi, CEO, Invest AD. It also includes a viewpoint with Mohammad Al Murtada Al Dandashi, Partner & Managing Director, Al Ramz Securities.