Capital Markets

Abu Dhabi’s capital markets have witnessed rapid expansion since the establishment of the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) in 2000. Prior to the ADX, the sector played a much more limited role in the emirate’s financial services landscape. Historically the region has had a significant amount of capital owing to its oil wealth and, coupled with a relatively robust and liquid banking system, this created little domestic demand for capital markets as means for finance. Nevertheless, the region has long utilised international securities as an investment option, with sovereign wealth funds emerging as major buyers of stocks and bonds. The emirate has successfully worked to expand its securities offering in recent years, demonstrating a commitment to increasing liquidity and overall activity in its capital markets.