Abdulla Salem Alnuaimi said the Arab region continued to offer strong fundamentals, supported by robust sovereign balance sheets, clear growth drivers and supportive political will. Moreover, he said these factors positioned the region as a stable destination for long-term capital in an increasingly uncertain global environment.
He noted that the Arab Federation of Capital Markets is working to build an institutional framework that converts these strengths into sustained market confidence.
Alnuaimi, recently appointed Chairman of the federation, said the appointment reflected rising confidence in the progress achieved by Arab capital markets. Additionally, he stressed that the trust placed in him by member exchanges carried responsibility that he approached with a clear vision and firm commitment.
He said UAE capital markets have developed on solid foundations and followed a clear methodology supported by leadership. Moreover, he noted that ADX adopted a model built on strong institutional pillars and continuous innovation, helping to strengthen its position among the world’s most active financial markets.
He added that this progress was reflected in the inclusion of ADX indices in MSCI and FTSE benchmarks, the development of post-trade infrastructure, and the expansion of financial products and services. As a result, he said the exchange has continued to enhance its market depth and global visibility.
He added that, as Chairman of the federation, he aimed to apply these experiences regionally by advancing a shared agenda. Furthermore, he said this agenda would accelerate market development, strengthen institutional confidence and reinforce the role of Arab capital markets in shaping the global financial system.
Alnuaimi said Arab capital markets were undergoing a pivotal transformation. Moreover, he noted that achievements made over the past five years were once considered long-term goals expected to take 15 years.
He explained that the transformation reflected a shift from markets dominated by retail investors and local focus to markets increasingly driven by institutional investors and deeper global integration. Additionally, he said the wave of IPOs in GCC countries demonstrated the ability of Arab markets to attract listings of international scale and impact.
He added that investor demand remained strong, supported by the quality of listed companies and the depth of subscription books. Furthermore, he said regulatory and supervisory frameworks have also advanced, supporting stronger market confidence.
However, he said sustaining this momentum remained a priority. Moreover, he noted that stronger market connectivity, more harmonised regulatory frameworks and the expansion of fixed income and derivatives markets were expected to accelerate in the next phase.
He stressed that transformation was already underway but needed to extend across the region. Therefore, he said the federation would work to ensure balanced and sustainable progress across all Arab markets rather than concentrating development in a limited number of exchanges.
Alnuaimi said markets were operating amid continued volatility, global monetary policy recalibration and rapid technological shifts. Additionally, he noted that these structural forces would continue shaping competitive dynamics across financial markets in the coming years.
He pointed to fragmentation as the most pressing internal challenge for Arab markets. Moreover, he said differences in infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, data standards and cross-border connectivity continued to limit regional integration.
He said closing these gaps remained a strategic priority, given the scale of Arab economies and the depth of sovereign liquidity across the region. Additionally, he noted that the federation played a central role by developing flexible regulatory visions that enable markets to compete for the next generation of financial products and attract a wider investor base.
Integration, competitiveness and delivery priorities
Alnuaimi outlined three key priorities during his tenure, focusing on market integration, competitiveness and delivering measurable outcomes. Moreover, he said the federation would work to ensure that its initiatives translated into tangible market progress.
On integration, he said the focus would remain on improving connectivity between exchanges and developing mutual recognition frameworks. Additionally, he highlighted plans to unify listing and disclosure standards across Arab markets to support a more integrated capital market capable of attracting international institutional investors.
On competitiveness, he said efforts would support member exchanges in expanding advanced product ecosystems. Moreover, he pointed to the development of derivatives, deeper sukuk markets, digital asset frameworks and ESG-aligned tools as priorities for the next stage of growth.
He said markets offering a broader suite of institutional investment instruments would be best positioned to attract regional and global capital flows. Therefore, he said competitiveness would remain central to sustaining long-term growth across Arab exchanges.
On institutional excellence, he said the federation would invest in research, capacity building and knowledge infrastructure. Additionally, he noted that the federation’s strength ultimately depended on the collective strength and performance of its members.
He said Arab capital markets possessed both the ambition and capability to build a system with sustainable global impact. Moreover, he said this remained the level he aimed to achieve during his tenure as Chairman of the federation.
