RIYADH: Saudi Arabia dominated Gulf equity markets in the second quarter of 2025, securing 76 percent of total initial public offering proceeds amid strong investor demand for listings on its bourses.
According to PwC Middle East’s latest IPO Watch report, Gulf Cooperation Council equity markets raised $2.4 billion from four main market IPOs and eight listings on Saudi Arabia’s Nomu Parallel Market. The proceeds were broadly in line with the $2.6 billion raised during the same period in 2024, despite a decline in the number of listings.
The Kingdom’s leadership was underscored by high-profile IPOs such as Flynas, the region’s first airline listing in over 15 years, and Specialized Medical Co., which raised $500 million in June. Three IPOs in the region raised over $500 million each, reflecting strong investor appetite and a shift toward larger deals.
“The global market volatility at the start of Q2, driven by uncertainty over global trade tariffs, understandably prompted some companies to reassess their IPO plans,” said Muhammad Hassan, capital markets leader, partner at PwC Middle East.
“Despite slower IPO activity across the GCC, Tadawul and DFM witnessed landmark IPOs such as Flynas and Dubai Residential REIT," he added. "The outlook remains cautiously optimistic for the remainder of the year, subject to macroeconomic and geopolitical factors.”
Strong IPO performance was further bolstered by rising foreign investor participation across Gulf stock markets, with net inflows jumping 50 percent quarter on quarter to reach $4.2 billion in the second quarter of 2025, according to a report by Kuwait-based asset management company Kamco Invest released earlier in July.
This marked the sixth consecutive quarter of net foreign inflows into GCC equities.
Kamco reported that Saudi Arabia attracted the highest inflows at $1.4 billion, up from $252.3 million the previous quarter, reflecting increased investor confidence amid the Kingdom’s ongoing market liberalization and economic diversification efforts.
PwC reported that the Nomu market showed continued strength, with eight listings raising $128 million in the second quarter of the year, up from $81 million during the same period last year.
In the UAE, the Dubai Residential REIT IPO marked the first real estate investment trust listing since 2014, signaling renewed investor interest in alternative assets.
The Dubai Financial Market and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange rebounded from early turbulence, with the Dubai Financial Market gaining 15 percent and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange rising 7 percent.
Regional equity indices saw mixed performance, with early-quarter uncertainty followed by recovery later in the period. In Saudi Arabia, the Tadawul All Share Index declined 6 percent, influenced by a nearly 20 percent drop in Brent crude prices.
Looking ahead, PwC said that while the third quarter typically experiences reduced IPO activity, the pipeline for late 2025 and early 2026 remains strong and diversified.
