Dubai Financial Market Adds 59,108 New Investor Accounts in the First Eight Months of 2026: 28 Brokers, 5.63 Million Trades and AED 293.92 Billion Traded

2026-09-02

Brokerage firms on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) opened 59,108 new investor accounts between 1 January and 31 August 2026, compared with 58,392 in the same period of 2025, an increase of 1.2%. The 28 brokers active on the exchange executed more than 5.63 million trades on about 80.97 billion shares worth AED 293.92 billion over the eight months, according to DFM monthly data reported by Emirates 24|7 on 2026-09-02. The exchange links the inflow to the strong first-half results of listed companies and banks, the wider range of investment products and the gains recorded by large-cap stocks. For a company or an investor based in the UAE the practical point is simple: a DFM Investor Number is free of charge, can be issued in minutes through the DFM app without a personal visit, and is open to any nationality in any country.

The eight-month figures at a glance

The table below summarises the January-August 2026 data published by DFM and reported on 2026-09-02.

The monthly pattern was uneven. March (12,837 accounts) and July (11,366) were the strongest months, while August, with 3,492 accounts, was the weakest of the year.

The slow August changed the year-on-year picture. The seven-month tally reported by Emarat Al Youm on 2026-08-02 stood at 55,630 accounts, 7.1% above the 51,918 opened in January-July 2025, and July 2026 alone (11,366) was 50.7% higher than July 2025 (7,542). After August the eight-month growth narrowed to 1.2%, which implies that August 2025 had brought in noticeably more accounts than August 2026. The absolute level, close to 59,000 new accounts in eight months, is nevertheless in line with the pace of 2025.

Which brokers opened the accounts

Six brokerage houses accounted for 53,568 of the 59,108 new accounts, or about 90.6% of the total. BHM Capital Financial Services led with 19,498 accounts, followed by Emirates NBD Securities with approximately 12,320, Al Ramz Capital with 8,480, Abu Dhabi Islamic Securities with 7,378, Mashreq Securities with 3,940 and First Abu Dhabi Securities with 1,952.

The ranking by trading value looks different. EFG Hermes UAE has led the brokers by traded value since the beginning of 2026 and also topped the August table with AED 6.7 billion, or 23% of the month’s trading. Securities Numbers came second with AED 4.7 billion (15.9%), and BHM Capital Financial Services third with AED 3.4 billion (11.7%). In other words, the brokers that open the most retail accounts are not necessarily the ones that handle the largest institutional flows.

Why investors are coming: the first-half backdrop

DFM explains the inflow by three factors: the first-half 2026 results of listed companies and banks, the diversity of investment options and tools, and the gains achieved by major stocks. The exchange’s own half-year report, published on 2026-07-30, gives the scale of that activity. Total traded value rose 40.4% year on year to AED 119.5 billion, the average daily traded value climbed 45.1% to AED 1.004 billion, the average number of daily trades increased 35.4% to about 18,759, and the total number of trades reached 2.23 million (+31%). DFM attracted 42,864 new investors in the first six months, with international investors accounting for 71.4% of new registrations; foreign investors generated 51% of trading value and held 20.06% of market capitalisation, while institutional investors accounted for 71.2% of traded value. Market capitalisation stood at AED 981.6 billion at the end of June and the DFM General Index closed the half at 5,955.58 points.

The index path in 2026 has not been a straight line. According to the exchange’s first-quarter report published on 2026-04-30, the DFM General Index reached 6,774 points on 2026-02-09 and then closed the quarter 10.1% lower, before recovering: on 2026-06-17 the market’s capitalisation crossed AED 1 trillion for the first time, with the index at 6,115.97 points. In the first quarter alone 20,702 new investors joined, 79% of them international, and foreign investors accounted for 54% of trading value.

DFM as a listed company reported a net profit before tax of AED 443.2 million for the first half of 2026 on revenue of AED 557 million. Both figures are below the first half of 2025 (AED 777.1 million and AED 888.9 million), because the 2025 result included a one-off gain of AED 462.2 million from the sale of an investment property; operating income from trading and services grew. Hamed Ali, Chief Executive Officer of DFM and Nasdaq Dubai, said in the half-year statement that “the participation of institutional and international investors demonstrates continued confidence in the quality of opportunities available and the efficiency of our market infrastructure”.

The one soft spot is the IPO pipeline. AGBI reported on 2026-08-18 that several planned Dubai listings, including Dubai Investments Park and Dubizzle, had been pushed back or remained on hold in what bankers described as a more selective, valuation-disciplined market, while Emirates NBD Capital said it was receiving inquiries from companies outside the GCC interested in listing in the UAE. New accounts are therefore being opened mainly to trade the existing large caps, banks, real estate developers and utilities that dominate the DFM index, rather than to subscribe to new offerings. Abu Dhabi shows the same pattern of investor interest: see our overview of ADX-listed companies’ profit growth of 38% in the first half of 2026.

How to open a DFM investor account: the mechanics

The 59,108 accounts were opened under a procedure that DFM has made almost entirely digital. The steps below follow the exchange’s official investor FAQ.

1. Get an Investor Number (NIN) from Dubai CSD. The Dubai Central Securities Depository issues the NIN, and the service is free of charge. Personal presence is not required: the number can be requested in the DFM app or the iVestor app and is issued immediately once the request is submitted. Other channels are the Dubai CSD desk at the DFM trading floor (instant), licensed brokerage firms (within one working day) and DFM eServices. In the app the NIN is linked directly to UAE PASS.
2. Check eligibility. Dubai CSD is open to investors of any nationality based in any country, and any individual or institution can apply. Investors under 18 receive a NIN through a guardian. One NIN allows trading in both DFM and Nasdaq Dubai listed securities.
3. Open a trading account with a licensed broker. Twenty-eight brokerage firms operate on DFM. The iVestor app opens a trading account with partner brokers instantly, or the investor can approach a broker directly. Brokers run their own know-your-customer checks, so a company will typically need its trade licence, the documents of its authorised signatory and a bank account from which trades are settled.
4. Trade and monitor. Orders go through the broker’s platform during trading hours from 09:30 to 15:00 UAE time, and holdings, dividends and IPO subscriptions can be tracked in the DFM or iVestor apps.

What this means for a business in the UAE

For a UAE-registered company the DFM account is a treasury tool. A mainland or free zone entity can hold a corporate NIN, keep part of its surplus cash in listed shares, REITs or funds and receive dividends into its UAE bank account. The eight-month figures show that liquidity is there: AED 293.92 billion changed hands through 28 brokers, and daily turnover in the first half averaged above AED 1 billion, so positions of a size typical for an SME can be built and unwound without moving prices.

For founders the message is about the exit path. A deep base of new retail and institutional accounts, 71.4% of them international in the first half, is what makes future listings possible, and DFM runs a separate listing track for private companies alongside the main market. That is a long-term consideration, but it starts with a properly structured company, audited accounts and a bank relationship in the UAE.

For individual investors relocating to Dubai the NIN itself does not require residency, but a local bank account makes funding and settlement with a broker straightforward, and a residence visa simplifies the broker’s onboarding checks. This is where company formation, banking and residency come together as one plan rather than three separate tasks.

How Atlant Capital can help

Atlant Capital helps entrepreneurs and companies establish and operate businesses in the UAE. We register the company with the right legal form and activities through our company setup service, support corporate bank account opening with UAE banks so that a brokerage account can be funded and dividends received locally, and arrange residency visas for shareholders and managers. We can also prepare the corporate documents that a broker or Dubai CSD requires from an institutional investor.

Conclusion

DFM brokers opened 59,108 new investor accounts in the first eight months of 2026, 1.2% more than a year earlier, while trading on the exchange reached AED 293.92 billion across 5.63 million transactions. Growth slowed in August after a strong March and July, but the base of investors, mostly international, keeps expanding. The mechanics are simple and free: a NIN from Dubai CSD in minutes, a broker account, and a UAE bank account for settlement. Companies and investors that already operate in the UAE can add the market to their financial toolkit with little effort, and those planning a move can build it into their setup plan from the start.

FAQ

How many new investor accounts did the Dubai Financial Market add in 2026?

Brokerage firms on DFM opened 59,108 new investor accounts between 1 January and 31 August 2026, compared with 58,392 in the same period of 2025, a rise of 1.2%. March (12,837) and July (11,366) were the strongest months, August (3,492) the weakest. In the first half of the year alone DFM registered 42,864 new investors, 71.4% of them international.

How do I get a DFM Investor Number (NIN) and does it cost anything?

The Investor Number is issued by Dubai CSD free of charge. It can be requested in the DFM app or the iVestor app without a personal visit and is issued immediately after the request is submitted; the app links the NIN to UAE PASS. Alternatives are the Dubai CSD desk at the DFM trading floor, a licensed broker (within one working day) or DFM eServices. The same NIN is used for DFM and Nasdaq Dubai securities.

Can a non-resident or a foreign company invest on the Dubai Financial Market?

Yes. According to the DFM investor FAQ, Dubai CSD is open to investors of any nationality based in any country, and any individual or institution can apply for a NIN. Trading then requires an account with one of the 28 licensed brokers, which apply their own know-your-customer checks and usually ask for identity or corporate documents and a bank account for settlement.

Which brokers opened the most DFM accounts in 2026?

BHM Capital Financial Services opened 19,498 new accounts in January-August 2026, Emirates NBD Securities about 12,320, Al Ramz Capital 8,480, Abu Dhabi Islamic Securities 7,378, Mashreq Securities 3,940 and First Abu Dhabi Securities 1,952. By traded value EFG Hermes UAE led the market with AED 6.7 billion in August, 23% of the month’s turnover.