Dubai Financial Market reported a pre-tax profit of 586.4 million dirhams for the first nine months of 2026, alongside a 22 percent increase in total trading value to 162 billion dirhams, according to financial results announced by the exchange as detailed by Al Ittihad.
Trading Activity and Financial Performance
The nine-month financial figures highlighted expanding market activity across multiple indicators in reporting published by CNN Business Arabic. The daily average trading value rose by 25 percent year-on-year to reach 883 million dirhams, compared to 709 million dirhams during the corresponding period in 2025. Total trading volume reached 162 billion dirhams, up from 133 billion dirhams previously. The total number of transactions increased by 24 percent to 3.16 million, while the daily average number of transactions grew by 26 percent to approximately 17,200 deals across 184 trading days, compared with 13,600 deals across 188 trading days in the first nine months of the previous year.
Dubai Financial Market announces strong results for the first nine months of 2026Total consolidated revenueAED 753.2 millionNet profit before taxAED 586.4 millionMarket capitalisationAED 993 billionTotal traded valueAED 162 billionUp 22% compared with the same period… pic.twitter.com/j05D8b0noK
— https://x.com/DXBMediaOffice/status/2115878573915639869
Consolidated revenues for the January-to-September period reached 753.2 million dirhams, comprising 511.2 million dirhams in operational income—a 24.8 percent year-on-year increase—and 242 million dirhams from investment returns and other income sources. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization totaled 642 million dirhams, maintaining a profit margin of 85.2 percent. Expenses, excluding taxes, registered at 166.8 million dirhams, shifting slightly from 162.6 million dirhams in the first nine months of 2025. Pre-tax earnings of 586.4 million dirhams compared to 930.8 million dirhams in the prior-year period, which had included a non-recurring income of 461.9 million dirhams from the sale of an investment property. Total market capitalization stood at 993 billion dirhams at the end of September 2026, while the DFM General Index closed the period at 5,960.54 points, marking a 1.4 percent decrease since the beginning of the year.
Investor Base and Strategic Leadership Perspective
During the first three quarters of the year, the exchange welcomed 55,460 new investors, with international participants accounting for 72 percent of that influx, pushing the total investor base past 1.3 million. Institutional investors comprised 73 percent of total trading value—up from 70 percent in the same period of 2025—while foreign investors contributed 51 percent of trading activity. Foreign ownership accounted for 19 percent of the total market capitalization, and institutional ownership reached 86.5 percent.
Hilal Saeed Al Marri, Chairman of Dubai Financial Market, noted that the 22 percent increase in total trading value reflects sustained investor participation and the growing depth of Dubai’s capital markets, anchored by the emirate’s economic foundations and ongoing international interest. Hamed Ali, Chief Executive Officer of DFM and Nasdaq Dubai, stated that the results demonstrate steady progress in strategic priorities, including enhancing liquidity, broadening participation, and facilitating investor access.
Platform Expansion and Outlook
Market accessibility expanded further as regional integrations progressed. Baraka enabled qualified UAE investors to purchase shares of DFM-listed companies directly in dirhams through its platform. Additionally, EFG Hermes launched full digital registration via the EFG Hermes ONE application in cooperation with Dubai Financial Market and Dubai Central Clearing Depository, allowing investors to secure a DFM investor number and open a trading account entirely via mobile device.
As the exchange moves forward, what specific measures will management implement to sustain liquidity growth and expand product offerings against shifting global market conditions remain open questions.
