ADX Takes Abu Dhabi’s Growth Story to London with AED 48 Billion in Corporate Profits and AED 66.2 Billion in Dividends

Abu Dhabi | EcoPulse24

The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) is set to lead a delegation of 23 listed companies to London for the fifth HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference from June 8 to June 11, showcasing the strength of Abu Dhabi’s capital markets, corporate earnings growth, institutional participation, and foreign investment activity to global investors and financial institutions.

The roadshow comes as Abu Dhabi continues to position itself as one of the region’s most resilient and internationally connected financial centers, supported by strong economic fundamentals, rising market liquidity, and growing participation from global investors.

Corporate Profits Reach AED 48 Billion

ADX-listed companies reported combined net profits of AED 48 billion ($13.1 billion) during the first quarter of 2026, representing a 17% year-on-year increase.

The growth reflects continued strength across key sectors including energy, financial services, industrials, logistics, healthcare, and technology, many of which have become increasingly important to Abu Dhabi’s economic diversification strategy.

Corporate Performance Snapshot

Dividend Payments Exceed AED 66 Billion

Since the start of 2026, ADX-listed companies have announced AED 66.2 billion ($18 billion) in cash dividends, reinforcing the market’s reputation as one of the Gulf region’s leading destinations for income-focused investors.

The dividend distribution reflects both strong profitability and management confidence in future earnings performance.

Shareholder Returns

Market Capitalization Nears AED 3 Trillion

As of the end of April 2026, ADX's market capitalization stood at AED 2.83 trillion ($771 billion), making it one of the largest exchanges in the Middle East and the second-largest stock market in the Arab world by market value.

Average daily trading value reached AED 1.4 billion, representing an 8.2% increase compared with the same period last year.

Market Metrics

Institutional Investors Dominate Trading Activity

Institutional investors continued to play a central role in market activity.

During the first four months of 2026, institutional investors generated AED 182 billion ($49.6 billion) in buy and sell transactions, accounting for 77% of total trading value on the exchange.

Institutional trading activity also recorded a 19% year-on-year increase in transaction count.

Institutional Participation

Foreign Investors Account for Nearly Half of Trading

Foreign participation remained a major pillar of market activity.

International investors generated AED 111 billion ($30.4 billion) in trading value during the first four months of 2026, accounting for 47.3% of total market trading activity.

The figures build on momentum established in 2025, when foreign investment increased by nearly 14% year-on-year.

Foreign Investment Indicators

A Delegation Reflecting Abu Dhabi’s Economic Transformation

The London delegation includes some of the UAE’s most influential publicly listed companies across multiple sectors.

Energy & Infrastructure

• ADNOC Gas

• ADNOC Drilling

• ADNOC Distribution

• Borouge

• Fertiglobe

• Dana Gas

• NMDC Energy

• NMDC Group

Financial Services

• First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB)

• Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB)

• Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB)

• Waha Capital

• 2PointZero

Real Estate & Logistics

• Aldar Properties

• AD Ports Group

• Agility Global

• Modon Holding

Healthcare

• PureHealth

• Burjeel Holdings

AI & Space Technology

• Presight

• Space42

Telecommunications

• e&

The composition of the delegation demonstrates how Abu Dhabi’s capital market has evolved beyond traditional energy exposure into a diversified platform spanning banking, healthcare, logistics, artificial intelligence, and advanced technologies.

Strong Economic Fundamentals Support Investor Confidence

The exchange’s performance is underpinned by Abu Dhabi’s broader economic strength.

According to the Statistics Centre – Abu Dhabi (SCAD), the emirate’s non-oil GDP expanded by 7.6% year-on-year in Q3 2025, highlighting the continued success of diversification efforts.

Combined with one of the world's highest sovereign credit ratings, Abu Dhabi continues to offer investors a rare combination of economic stability, fiscal strength, and long-term growth potential.

EcoPulse24 Analysis

The significance of ADX’s London roadshow extends well beyond a traditional investor-relations event.

What Abu Dhabi is presenting to international investors is not merely a collection of listed companies - it is a market supported by tangible performance metrics.

The exchange arrives in London backed by:

• AED 48 billion in quarterly profits.

• AED 66.2 billion in announced dividends.

• AED 2.83 trillion in market capitalization.

• Foreign investors accounting for nearly half of all trading activity.

• Institutional investors responsible for more than three-quarters of market turnover.

These figures suggest that Abu Dhabi’s equity market is increasingly attracting long-term institutional capital rather than relying primarily on retail-driven trading flows.

The strong presence of foreign investors is particularly important. Markets where international participation approaches 50% of trading activity are generally viewed as more globally integrated, more liquid, and more visible to major asset managers.

Equally significant is the composition of the delegation itself. The inclusion of companies such as ADNOC Gas, FAB, Aldar, AD Ports, Presight, Space42, and e& presents a diversified investment story that mirrors Abu Dhabi’s broader economic transformation.

At a time when global investors are seeking exposure to energy security, infrastructure development, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and resilient emerging-market growth, Abu Dhabi is positioning itself as a gateway to all of these themes through a single capital market.

For international investors, the London conference is not simply an opportunity to meet corporate executives - it is an opportunity to assess one of the Gulf region’s fastest-growing financial ecosystems and the long-term growth strategy driving it.