DFM Reports Significant 298% Rise In Net Profit Before Tax To AED777.1 Million For H1 2025

Dubai Financial Market (DFM) has reported a significant increase in its financial performance for the first half of 2025. The net profit before tax reached AED777.1 million, marking a 298% rise compared to the same period in 2024. This growth highlights strong investor confidence and the ongoing expansion of Dubai’s capital markets.

The DFM General Index (DFMGI) saw a 10.6% increase, reflecting both local market strength and a global shift towards resilient, growth-focused markets. Total market capitalisation rose by 9.7% from last year, reaching AED995 billion.

Helal Saeed Al Marri, Chairman of DFM, stated that the positive performance was driven by increasing market depth and investor engagement. He noted that the rise in the DFM General Index was supported by sustained participation from institutional and foreign investors amidst a dynamic Dubai economy.

In May, DFM hosted its third Annual Capital Market Summit, attracting over 1,500 participants globally. This event underscored DFM’s global standing and set the stage for continued innovation and growth.

DFM's consolidated revenue increased by 191% to AED888.9 million in H1 2025 due to robust operating income and investment returns. Expenses excluding tax were AED111.8 million, slightly up from AED110.3 million in H1 2024, reflecting ongoing investments in infrastructure and technology.

In Q2 2025 alone, total revenue reached AED702.5 million compared to AED157.6 million in Q2 2024. The net profit before tax for this quarter was AED642.2 million, up from AED99.8 million last year.

Trading Activity and New Investors

Trading activity surged during H1 2025 with average daily traded value rising by 75% year-on-year to AED692 million. This led to a total traded value of AED85 billion, up from AED48 billion in H1 2024.

The average number of daily trades increased by 37% to approximately 13,900, indicating deeper market engagement. DFM onboarded 53,655 new investors during this period, with foreign investors making up 84%, raising the total investor base to over 1.2 million.

Institutional Trading and Global Interest

Institutional trading accounted for 71% of total activity with foreign investors contributing to 53% of trading and representing 20% ownership of market capitalisation.

In June, DFM participated in HSBC’s GCC Exchanges Conference in London which attracted over 300 global institutional investors and more than 100 corporates highlighting growing global interest in Gulf markets.

IPO Successes and Technological Enhancements

The first half of 2025 saw the landmark IPO of Dubai Residential REIT (DUBAIRESI), GCC's largest listed residential leasing-focused REIT raising AED2.145 billion (US$584 million). The IPO was oversubscribed with gross demand exceeding AED56 billion (US$15 billion).

This debut marked it as the largest listed REIT in GCC with a market capitalisation of AED14.3 billion (US$3.9 billion), showcasing strong investor confidence in Dubai’s real estate sector.

MENA Capital Market Summit Highlights

In May, DFM hosted CMS 2025 welcoming over 1,500 attendees including more than 100 speakers from leading global institutions reinforcing its role as a strategic enabler for capital market development.

This year's summit introduced two AI-powered enhancements to its iVestor app: Smart Disclosures providing concise summaries of company announcements while Financial Summary presents key financial metrics clearly supporting informed decision-making aligning with digital-first investment tools demand.

Diverse Market Composition

The diverse sector composition strategically positions DFM to attract listings from emerging sectors enhancing market depth further engaging investors through platforms like Arena facilitating broader capital access diversifying investment opportunities across various asset classes reinforcing investor engagement.

Hamed Ali CEO of DFM & Nasdaq Dubai commented on steady progress executing strategic initiatives maintaining investor confidence noting successful listing signals continued strength IPO pipeline growing appetite diversified asset classes expanding access new products deepening infrastructure magnet capital launchpad ambitious issuers regionally globally.

With inputs from WAM