Brokerages Add 44,260 Investor Accounts on Dubai Financial Market in H1 2026
Dubai Financial Market brokerages added 44,260 investor accounts in H1 2026 as strong corporate results and growing investor confidence drove trading volumes.
Brokerages Add 44,260 Investor Accounts in First Half of 2026
The Dubai Financial Market saw brokerage firms open 44,260 new investor accounts between January 1 and June 30, 2026. This inflow reflects a mix of diversified investment options, improving corporate earnings and rising confidence in the emirate’s equity market. Market sources attribute the surge to solid first-quarter results from listed companies that attracted new retail and institutional participants.
Investor appetite for local stocks was further supported by a broader economic backdrop in Dubai that many market participants describe as increasingly resilient. Brokerage-led campaigns and digital onboarding improvements also helped convert interest into active accounts. The concentration of new accounts across several leading intermediaries underscored a competitive push to capture retail flows.
Monthly Account Growth Across January–June 2026
Account openings were uneven across the six-month period, with March recording the largest monthly inflow. The monthly tally was 6,339 in January, 5,644 in February, 12,837 in March, 7,356 in April, 5,210 in May and 6,874 in June. The March spike aligns with strong corporate disclosures and market optimism that followed quarterly earnings releases.
June’s additions represented a year-on-year increase of 4.33% against 6,589 accounts in June 2025, indicating sustained momentum into the second quarter. Analysts say the pattern suggests episodic surges tied to news and earnings seasons rather than a steady linear trend.
Top Brokerages by New Account Openings
A small group of brokerages captured the bulk of the new retail entrants in H1 2026. BHM Capital led with 17,003 new accounts, followed by Ramz Capital with 7,063 and Abu Dhabi Islamic Securities with 6,200. Emirates NBD Securities added 4,395 accounts and Mashreq Securities recorded 3,483 new client accounts during the same period.
Industry executives noted that these firms combined aggressive client acquisition strategies with broad product offerings, including equities, ETFs and margin facilities. The concentration of new accounts at a handful of brokers highlights both brand strength and the effectiveness of client onboarding platforms.
Trading Activity Reaches AED 238.96 Billion
Brokerage activity translated into heavy market turnover in the first half of the year. Firms executed more than 4.46 million trades on a total of 65.27 billion shares, generating a combined traded value of AED 238.96 billion. These volumes reflect both high-frequency trading patterns and substantial participation from long-term investors.
The volume of shares traded and the value transacted gave market participants scope to reprice holdings and adjust portfolios amid shifting sectoral performance. Observers said elevated liquidity has improved price discovery on the Dubai Financial Market and supported tighter spreads.
Market Share Leaders by Trading Value in H1 2026
By value of trades, The Financial Group Hermes – UAE captured the largest share, accounting for AED 57.97 billion or 24.26% of brokerage trading value in the period. Emirates NBD Securities followed with about AED 28.10 billion (11.76%), while Arqaam Securities accounted for AED 27.28 billion (11.42%). BHM Capital registered AED 23.23 billion (9.72%) and Abu Dhabi Islamic Securities contributed AED 13.42 billion (5.62%).
These market-share figures underline how institutional platforms and regional investment banks continue to dominate high-value flows. Firms with strong research footprints and corporate access appear to have attracted the bulk of large-ticket trades.
June Momentum and Year-on-Year Growth
June activity reinforced the broader H1 trend with 6,874 new accounts added and AED 41.59 billion traded across 11.52 billion shares. Trading in June was executed through some 785,120 deals. Hermes led brokerage value share for the month with AED 10.76 billion or 25.87% of the month’s brokerage-led trading value.
Emirates NBD Securities, Arqaam Securities, BHM Capital and Ramz Capital rounded out the top five in June by value, with respective contributions of AED 4.8 billion (11.55%), AED 4.04 billion (9.73%), AED 3.68 billion (8.85%) and AED 2.19 billion (5.28%). Market participants said the month’s performance underlined both seasonal activity and ongoing investor interest in local listings.
The influx of accounts and heightened turnover through the first half of 2026 signals a deepening of retail participation and steady institutional engagement on the Dubai Financial Market. Regulators and exchanges will watch whether this momentum translates into sustained liquidity, broader market breadth and continued confidence among new investors.