Companies in the real estate and industrial sectors continue to show interest in listing on the UAE’s public markets, according to Waleed Saeed Al Awadhi, chief executive of the Capital Market Authority (CMA).
Al Awadhi said, however, that it would be premature to forecast how many initial public offerings (IPOs) and new listings the UAE will see in 2027. The regulator’s priority, he said, is to ensure that companies entering the market meet the required governance and disclosure standards while giving investors a wider range of opportunities.
The CMA is also reviewing the regulatory framework for retail and fractional sukuk, which could allow investors to access fixed-income products through smaller contributions.
During 2026, the CMA approved the public offering of shares in DIP Holding, which announced its intention to list on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM).
DIP Holding’s IPO is the first in the UAE this year. Dubai Investments is selling 20 per cent of the company on the DFM. The final offer price was set at Dh1.12 per share. The offering raised Dh1.9 billion, with a market capitalisation of Dh9.7 billion on listing, and the company said it drew strong demand and was significantly oversubscribed. The DFM listing is scheduled on November 11.
Earlier this month, said Hamed Ali, CEO of the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and Nasdaq Dubai, also said that Dubai’s IPO pipeline is “looking good” despite only one offering having hit the market so far this year.
“The pipeline is looking good across a number of different sectors,” Ali said at the Dubai Fintech Summit.
The Dubai bourse, he added, is working to bring more issuers to the market. “When we look at the growth of the market, one is IPOs and the second is post-IPO,” Ali explained.
Wider access for smaller investors
The CMA’s review of retail and fractional sukuk comes as the UAE builds out retail access to government-backed Islamic debt. The first Dh50 million issuance of the Ministry of Finance’s retail T-Sukuk was oversubscribed nearly nine times. Investors could subscribe digitally with a minimum investment of Dh1,000. The ministry set the profit rate for the second issuance at 5.06 per cent.
Al Awadhi said regulated digital investment platforms could play an important role in simplifying access to financial markets, but must meet appropriate regulatory requirements. These include authorisation, transparent disclosure of costs and risks, protection of client assets and oversight of automated investment services.
“Lower investment thresholds do not necessarily mean lower risks, and our priority is to ensure that greater accessibility is accompanied by adequate investor safeguards,” he said.
Al Awadhi told Khaleej Times that the authority has identified investor protection, broader market access and digital transformation as its three main priorities for 2027. The CMA is also planning an Investor Protection Fund and new safeguards for exceptional market circumstances.
Source: Khaleej Times