In 2025, Nasdaq Dubai set a record for Sukuk listings, driven by consistent issuance activity from both regional and international issuers.
Amid ongoing Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran and broader regional military escalation, Nasdaq Dubai will remain closed for two days due to the ongoing conflict in the region.
The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), the independent regulator of banking, financial services, and markets at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), announced on Monday that Nasdaq Dubai will be temporarily closed on March 2 and 3, 2026.
Nasdaq Dubai, the international financial exchange bridging Western Europe and East Asia, lists shares, derivatives, Sukuk (Islamic bonds), conventional bonds, and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). The exchange’s majority shareholder is Dubai Financial Market, holding a two-thirds stake, while Borse Dubai owns the remaining one-third. The regulator of Nasdaq Dubai is the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).
“The DFSA continues to closely monitor developments in the region and remains in regular contact with local authorities and relevant advisories,” a DFSA statement said on Monday.
On Sunday, the UAE Capital Market Authority (CMA) announced the closure of the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and Dubai Financial Market on Monday and Tuesday. “In implementation of its supervisory and regulatory role over the UAE capital markets, and pursuant to applicable laws and regulations, the UAE CMA announces that Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and Dubai Financial Market (DFM) will be closed on Monday, March 2, and Tuesday, March 3, 2026,” the regulator said.
In 2025, Nasdaq Dubai recorded a record number of Sukuk listings, driven by sustained issuance activity from regional and international issuers and continued global investor demand for Sharia-compliant debt instruments. By the end of 2025, the total value of outstanding debt securities across DFM and Nasdaq Dubai reached $150.9 billion, with Nasdaq Dubai accounting for $146.1 billion.
The exchange’s Sukuk market has grown significantly over the past decade, with outstanding listings rising eightfold since 2013, from $12.6 billion to over $100 billion. Since its inception, Nasdaq Dubai has hosted more than $245 billion in cumulative bond and Sukuk issuances, including $177 billion in Sukuk.
