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The Capital Market Authority handled 192 percent more complaints in the January-to-September period than in the same stretch of 2025, according to its nine-month update. Refunds for the period stood at roughly 111 times the AED 10.8 million recorded for all of 2025 in the CMA’s annual report. One major settlement between an investor and a licensed brokerage that the authority facilitated in May also involved AED 1.2 billion, although Monday’s release did not explicitly connect the two amounts.
According to the CMA, the number of licensed companies climbed 43 percent year-on-year from the roughly 244 recorded at the end of 2025. Accredited professionals rose 64 percent over the first nine months of 2026. The update represents the first such report since Federal Decree-Laws No. 32 and 33 of 2025 entered into force on January 1, expanding the regulator’s powers and attracting more firms to mainland licensing.
UAE capital markets posted a combined market capitalisation of AED 3.7 trillion for the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and Dubai Financial Market at the end of September, CMA data indicated. Total traded value reached AED 408 billion during the period, with foreign investors accounting for 49 percent of activity. The authority’s figures underscore continued international confidence even as global conditions evolved.
Capital-raising activity produced AED 576 billion in combined bond and sukuk issuances together with approximately AED 3.4 billion in capital increases, the CMA reported. Local investment funds expanded 94 percent to 97, while assets under management within them grew 30 percent from the year-earlier level. The regulator’s remit now includes 102 virtual assets registered for admission to trading.
The number of financial penalties imposed jumped 246 percent year-on-year, with their total value increasing 23 percent to AED 12.9 million, according to the update. Warnings issued surged 767 percent. These enforcement metrics reflect the authority’s sharpened oversight following the legislative changes that broadened its independence and investor-protection tools.
The CMA’s public register listed 28 firms cleared for over-the-counter derivatives and spot forex trading on Monday, up from 11 at the end of 2024, license-monitoring data from FM Intelligence showed. The 2025 annual report had placed the equivalent total at 21 firms by year-end. Recent authorisations include XTB, which added Category 1 and 2 licenses in April, and RoboMarkets, which obtained its Category 1 license in September 2025.
