Nasdaq Dubai
Nasdaq Dubai is the international financial exchange in the Middle East, operating from DIFC under DFSA regulation. It lists equities, sukuk, bonds, futures, and REITs for sovereigns, banks, and corporates, serving issuers, member brokers, and global investors across 212 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersDubai, United Arab Emirates
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Nasdaq Dubai does
Nasdaq Dubai Ltd. is a privately held international financial exchange headquartered in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Dubai, UAE. Founded in 2007 as the Dubai International Financial Exchange (DIFX) and rebranded under a licensing arrangement with Nasdaq OMX, the exchange is jointly owned by Dubai Financial Market (two-thirds) and Borse Dubai (one-third) and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). It operates the X-Stream trading platform and supports listings and secondary-market trading across equities, sukuk and Islamic products, conventional bonds, ESG bonds and sukuk, futures, and REITs, with related services spanning clearing and settlement, central securities depository, market data distribution, dividend payment services, and ISIN/CFI issuance as the sole National Numbering Agency for DIFC. The exchange also operates the DFSA-approved CANDI disclosure system and the Murabaha Platform for Shariah-compliant financing.
Nasdaq Dubai serves three horizontal customer segments: issuers (sovereigns, regional banks, corporates, and growth-stage companies seeking international capital), member brokers and financial institutions executing trades on the platform, and individual and institutional investors across 212 countries. The exchange monetizes through initial and annual listing fees, trading and transaction fees across listed asset classes, recurring membership fees, market data subscriptions licensed to distributors such as Bloomberg, Reuters, LSEG, FactSet, and TradingView, and CANDI regulatory announcement subscriptions. With over USD 141 billion in outstanding debt securities (including USD 98.6 billion+ in sukuk) and USD 28.7 billion+ in ESG-linked instruments, Nasdaq Dubai is positioned as the leading international venue for fixed-income and Islamic finance listings in the Middle East and a bridge between regional capital and global investors.
The platform's competitive positioning rests on the Nasdaq brand, English common-law DIFC jurisdiction, DFSA regulation to international standards, and an integrated value chain from listing through post-trade. Strategic priorities in 2025-2026 have focused on broadening the addressable issuer base (Nasdaq Dubai Growth Market for companies under USD 2.5 billion market cap), extending into private-company infrastructure (Nasdaq Dubai Private Market), opening sovereign debt to retail investors (UAE Sovereign Retail T-Sukuk Programme, 2026), and building cross-border settlement corridors (Direct CSD Link with AIX CSD, 2025).
Nasdaq Dubai firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nasdaq Dubai
- Legal name
- Nasdaq Dubai Ltd.
- Website
- https://nasdaqdubai.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Nasdaq Dubai is the international financial exchange in the Middle East, operating from DIFC under DFSA regulation. It lists equities, sukuk, bonds, futures, and REITs for sovereigns, banks, and corporates, serving issuers, member brokers, and global investors across 212 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nasdaq Dubai industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Securities Exchange
- NAICS
- Securities and Commodity Exchanges (52321), Securities and Commodity Exchanges (5232), Securities and Commodity Exchanges (523210)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- IPO & New Issue Issuer Services (Listing/ISIN setup) (FSACAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Electronic/Direct Market Access (DMA) & Sponsored Access (FSACAFAI)
Keywords
Where Nasdaq Dubai is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dubai
- HQ country
- United Arab Emirates
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices1 record
Markets served
Nasdaq Dubai business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Listing Fees: Nasdaq Dubai charges companies fees for listing securities on the exchange. This includes initial listing fees and ongoing annual fees for maintaining the listing. The exchange offers listing for equities, funds/REITs/ETFs, sukuk, and bonds. Different fee structures apply based on the type of security and listing venue.
- Trading and Transaction Fees: The exchange generates revenue from trading activity on its platform, including transaction fees charged on trades executed by member brokers. This encompasses trading across equities, sukuk, conventional bonds, futures, and REITs.
- Market Data Services: Nasdaq Dubai licenses real-time and historical market data to authorized data distributors (Bloomberg, Reuters, LSEG, Fidessa, FactSet, etc.) and direct subscribers. Data includes real-time prices, historical prices and volumes, and reference data.
- CANDI Disclosure Services: Annual fees for the CANDI (Company Announcements and News Disclosure) system, which provides regulatory announcement distribution to news providers, brokers, and media. Includes unlimited announcements, operation hours 9am-5pm, user guide, training, and ongoing support.
- Membership Fees: Brokers and financial institutions pay fees to become members of Nasdaq Dubai, gaining access to trade on the exchange across various asset classes including equities, sukuk, bonds, futures, and REITs.
- Dividend Payment Services: Nasdaq Dubai facilitates dividend distribution services for listed companies, with an iVESTOR Card option for shareholders to receive dividends. The exchange acts as paying agent for some listed companies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | CANDI RAS - Full Regulatory Announcement Service |
| Subscription | Annual | CANDI Exchange - Website-Only Disclosure |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sovereign Retail T-Sukuk Programme - Minimum Investment |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Nasdaq Dubai product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nasdaq Dubai is an international financial exchange operating within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), regulated by the DFSA. It provides listing, trading, clearing, and settlement services for equities, sukuk, conventional and ESG bonds, futures, and REITs, supported by member brokers and distributed market data. Adjacent services include the CANDI regulatory disclosure system, the Murabaha Islamic finance platform, central securities depository, and National Numbering Agency (ISIN/CFI) services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Equities Listing & Trading
- Sukuk and Islamic Products
- Conventional Bonds
- ESG Bonds and Sukuk
- Futures
- Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
- Nasdaq Dubai Growth Market
- Nasdaq Dubai Private Market
- FTSE Nasdaq Dubai UAE20 Index
- CANDI (Company Announcements and News Disclosure)
- Nasdaq Dubai Murabaha Platform
- Central Securities Depository (CSD)
- Clearing and Settlement
- Directors Desk
- Dividend Payment Services
- National Numbering Agency (NNA) Services
- Market Data Services
- UAE Sovereign Retail T-Sukuk Programme
Quantifiable outcome
- Over USD 98.6 billion in outstanding Sukuk listings, reinforcing Nasdaq Dubai's position as one of the world's leading venues for Islamic finance
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Nasdaq Dubai
Customer profileNamed customers25 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Nasdaq Dubai technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Nasdaq Dubai partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.
- Emirates NBD BankmajorEmirates NBD Bank served as a key banking partner for the UAE's inaugural Sovereign Retail T-Sukuk Programme, acting as a distribution channel and market maker for the retail sukuk. Emirates NBD also serves as a market maker and liquidity provider for various Nasdaq Dubai listed securities.
- Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB)majorAbu Dhabi Islamic Bank participated as a banking partner and market maker for the UAE's inaugural Sovereign Retail T-Sukuk Programme, providing Shariah-compliant distribution channels and liquidity provision.
- Emirates Islamic BankmajorEmirates Islamic Bank served as a banking partner and market maker for the UAE's inaugural Sovereign Retail T-Sukuk Programme, contributing to the distribution of Shariah-compliant retail investment instruments.
- Mashreq BankmajorMashreq Bank participated as a banking partner and market maker for the UAE's inaugural Sovereign Retail T-Sukuk Programme. Mashreq has listed USD 500 million Sukuk on Nasdaq Dubai and has a USD 2.5 billion Trust Certificate Issuance Programme.
- Ajman BankmajorAjman Bank served as a banking partner and market maker for the UAE's inaugural Sovereign Retail T-Sukuk Programme. Ajman Bank listed its debut USD 500 million Senior Sukuk on Nasdaq Dubai and is a liquidity provider for listed securities.
- BHM CapitalminorBHM Capital acted as a market maker and liquidity provider for the UAE's inaugural Sovereign Retail T-Sukuk Programme, supporting efficient price discovery and market liquidity.
- AIX CSDmajorNasdaq Dubai and AIX CSD launched a Direct CSD Link enabling seamless settlements and cross-border listings between the two central securities depositories, facilitating international securities settlement and expanding cross-border listing capabilities.
- Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA)coreThe DFSA is the independent regulator of Nasdaq Dubai, operating to the highest international regulatory standards. The exchange is subject to DFSA regulation, which provides investor protection and market integrity. DFSA approved the CANDI system as a Regulatory Announcement Service (RAS).
- Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE)majorThe Central Bank of the UAE collaborated with the Ministry of Finance and Nasdaq Dubai on the UAE's inaugural Sovereign Retail T-Sukuk Programme. The CBUAE works with financial markets to design and implement sovereign financial instruments.
- Bloomberg Finance LPmajorBloomberg Finance LP is an authorized market data provider for Nasdaq Dubai, distributing real-time exchange data to its global terminal network. Contact: UAE Sales team +971 4 364 1000.
- London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG)majorLondon Stock Exchange Group is an authorized market data distributor for Nasdaq Dubai. Contact: Jacob Monsy, +971 4 453 6300, [email protected].
- Thomson Reuters (Reuters News & Media Inc)majorReuters News & Media Inc is a market data provider for Nasdaq Dubai, with contact Zeki Dogan ([email protected]). Thomson Reuters also receives CANDI regulatory announcements from Nasdaq Dubai issuers.
- Fidessa plcmajorFidessa is an authorized market data distributor for Nasdaq Dubai. Contact: [email protected], +44 (0)207 105 1000.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Nasdaq Dubai competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Boursa Kuwait: Boursa Kuwait is a regional MENA exchange listing Kuwaiti equities, sukuk, and bonds. It competes with Nasdaq Dubai for GCC issuer mandates and for cross-border secondary trading flow from the broader Gulf investor base.
Broad incumbents
- Deutsche Börse / Frankfurt Stock Exchange: Frankfurt Stock Exchange is a major European exchange where Nasdaq Dubai-listed instruments are dual-listed (e.g., United Terra Enterprises PLC). It competes for international bond listings and serves as a parallel venue for European investor access to Middle East issuers.
- Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX): HKEX is a leading Asian exchange that competes for international listings, including those from Middle East sovereigns and corporates seeking Asia-Pacific investor reach. It is an indirect peer for large global issuers comparing listing destinations.
- London Stock Exchange (LSE): LSE is one of the world's largest exchanges and an authorized market-data distributor for Nasdaq Dubai. It competes with Nasdaq Dubai for international dual-listings of MENA issuers and for global Islamic finance listings, particularly UK-listed GDRs and international bond admissions.
Direct peers
- Dubai Financial Market (DFM): DFM is the domestic Dubai equities exchange and majority owner (2/3) of Nasdaq Dubai. Both serve UAE issuers and investors with overlapping product suites (equities, REITs, sukuk, bonds) and shared post-trade infrastructure, making DFM the most direct peer.
- Bahrain Bourse (BHB): Bahrain Bourse is a regional MENA exchange focused on equities and sukuk listings, historically a key Islamic-finance venue. It competes with Nasdaq Dubai for Bahraini and GCC sukuk mandates and cross-listings.
- Saudi Exchange (Tadawul): Saudi Tadawul is the largest MENA exchange by market cap and a direct competitor for sovereign and corporate IPOs, sukuk, and debt listings. It has absorbed the majority of high-profile regional listings (e.g., Aramco), making it the dominant regional peer.
- Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE): QSE is a GCC regional exchange listing equities, sukuk, and bonds for Qatari and international issuers. It competes with Nasdaq Dubai for Gulf-region sovereign, corporate, and financial-institution listings and for cross-border secondary trading.
- Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX): ADX is the UAE's other major exchange and a direct competitor for UAE corporate and government listings, sukuk, and bond mandates. Both exchanges compete for the same regional issuer pool within the same domestic regulatory geography.
Emerging players
- Astana International Exchange (AIX): AIX is a relatively new international exchange in Kazakhstan that has a Direct CSD Link partnership with Nasdaq Dubai. It operates in a complementary Central Asian geography and competes for emerging-market listings and cross-border settlement flow.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Nasdaq Dubai social profiles
Digital presenceNasdaq Dubai financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nasdaq Dubai leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Nasdaq Dubai funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nasdaq Dubai M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Nasdaq Dubai
What does Nasdaq Dubai do?
Nasdaq Dubai is an international financial exchange operating within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), regulated by the DFSA. It provides listing, trading, clearing, and settlement services for equities, sukuk, conventional and ESG bonds, futures, and REITs, supported by member brokers and distributed market data. Adjacent services include the CANDI regulatory disclosure system, the Murabaha Islamic finance platform, central securities depository, and National Numbering Agency (ISIN/CFI) services.
Is Nasdaq Dubai a public or private company?
Nasdaq Dubai is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Nasdaq Dubai founded?
Nasdaq Dubai was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Nasdaq Dubai based?
Nasdaq Dubai is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in the Middle East region.
How does Nasdaq Dubai make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Listing Fees are the primary driver. The others are trading and Transaction Fees, market Data Services, CANDI Disclosure Services, membership Fees and dividend Payment Services.
Who are Nasdaq Dubai's main competitors?
Boursa Kuwait is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Deutsche Börse / Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) and London Stock Exchange (LSE). Direct peers are Dubai Financial Market (DFM), Bahrain Bourse (BHB), Saudi Exchange (Tadawul), Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX). Astana International Exchange (AIX) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Nasdaq Dubai have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nasdaq Dubai.
What industry is Nasdaq Dubai in?
Nasdaq Dubai's product category is Securities Exchange. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSACAKAH, IPO & New Issue Issuer Services (Listing/ISIN setup), with a secondary code of FSACAFAI, Electronic/Direct Market Access (DMA) & Sponsored Access. Its NAICS code is 52321 and its SIC code is 6200.