Created on August 6, 2007, to consolidate the Dubai Financial Market and NASDAQ Dubai, the Borse Dubai is a stock exchange located in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai. This consolidation was undertaken with a view to strengthening Dubai’s position as a capital market center with global influence. In September of that same year, Borse Dubai secured 28 percent of the London Stock Exchange (LSE) as part of an agreement with the US-based NASDAQ exchange to unite for control of OMX – a Stockholm-based telecommunications and exchanges operator. The deal caused some controversy, particularly with the Qatar Investment Authority, but was eventually finalized and approved by the SEC, leaving Borse Dubai holding 19.99% of LSE’s holding company’s stock.
Located in Dubai the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) is one of three stock exchanges in the United Arab Emirates. It has close to 60 companies listed, most of which are based in the UAE, with some companies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region having dual listings. The companies listed at the DFM fall into different categories, or stock market sectors, including banks, insurance, real estate, transportation, building materials, consumer staples, telecommunication, and utilities.
NASDAQ Dubai was formerly called the Dubai International Financial Exchange (DIFX) which was opened on September 26, 2005, with the aim of becoming the leading financial exchange between East Asia and Western Europe. In 2008, the exchange joined forces with US-based NASDAQ and was rebranded as NASDAQ Dubai and is located in the city’s financial free zone known as the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC). The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has jurisdiction over the DIFC, regulating activities by international standards, and NASDAQ Dubai has a duly authorized license from the authority to operate as an exchange, offering a range of products including equities, funds, bonds, index products, derivatives and Islamic banking.
