RIYADH: Dubai Financial Market’s capitalization rose 9.7 percent year on year to 995 billion dirhams ($270.90 billion) in the first half of 2025, supported by strong investor inflows and rising trade volumes. 

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 the end of 2024. The Saudi Exchange alone reached SR9.13 trillion ($2.43 trillion) in equity market capitalization in the first half of 2025. 

“DFM delivered a positive performance in the first half of 2025, underpinned by growing market depth and investor engagement,” said Helal Saeed Al-Marri, chairman of DFM.  

The DFM General Index also advanced 10.6 percent, reflecting 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.  

DFM’s average daily traded value rose 75 percent year-on-year to 692 million dirhams, with total traded value climbing 77 percent to 85 billion dirhams. The average number of daily trades increased 37 percent to around 13,900, according to WAM. 

DFM also onboarded 53,655 new investors, 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.  

“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,” he added.