ADX sees 99.5% surge in foreign net investment in H1

The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) recorded robust performance across its core indicators during the first half of 2025, marking a strong start to the year and underlining growing investor confidence in the market.

According to official ADX data, foreign net investment surged by 99.5 per cent year-on-year, reaching Dhs13.6bn in H1 2025, compared to Dhs6.84bn in the same period in 2024.

The total trading value also experienced a notable increase of 33.5 per cent, rising from Dhs134.4bn to approximately Dhs179.5bn, a WAM report said.

Meanwhile, the average daily trading value climbed by 31.4 per cent, up from Dhs1.1bn to around Dhs1.45bn, reflecting heightened trading activity and liquidity.

ADX, HSBC, and FAB launch region’s first digital bond

On July 3, 2025, ADX announced the launch of the pricing stage for MENA’s first blockchain-based digital bond, a groundbreaking initiative in the region’s financial sector. The bond, issued by First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and facilitated through HSBC Orion—a leading digital asset issuance platform—marks a major milestone in digital finance.

This bond listing represents a strategic collaboration between ADX, FAB, and HSBC, blending local market leadership with global expertise in digital issuance. HSBC Orion, operated by the Central Moneymarkets Unit (CMU) in Hong Kong, serves as the underlying digital infrastructure. The transaction was also structured with input from international law firms, ensuring high standards of governance.

Pioneering tokenised finance in the region

ADX emphasized that the listing of the digital bond is a key step in its broader strategy to expand its portfolio of innovative financial products and solidify its position as a pioneer in tokenised finance.

Digital bonds—fixed-income instruments recorded and issued via blockchain—offer a range of operational benefits. These include faster settlement cycles, enhanced transparency, improved security, and reduced counterparty risk for institutional investors.

The bond is accessible to global investors through accounts with CMU, Euroclear, and Clearstream. It is also available via onboarding to HSBC Orion or through existing custodians linked to one of the participating entities.

Industry leaders highlight significance of innovation

HSBC played a central role in the transaction as the sole global coordinator, lead manager, and bookrunner. The bank’s leadership in end-to-end blockchain-based issuance was pivotal to bringing this technology to the MENA region.

Abdulla Salem Alnuaimi, Group CEO of ADX, commented, “The successful issuance of MENA’s first blockchain-based digital bond, in close collaboration with FAB and HSBC, marks a defining moment in our journey to transform capital markets through innovation.”

Lars Kramer, Group CFO of FAB, added, “Together with ADX and HSBC, we are setting new benchmarks in efficiency, transparency, and security, while aligning with the UAE’s progressive regulatory framework.”

Mohamed Al Marzooqi, CEO, UAE, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, said, “The launch of MENA’s first digital bond on ADX using HSBC Orion shows how we are transforming the promise of tokenisation into reality for our region.”

Designed to integrate seamlessly with global post-trade infrastructure, the digital bond bridges the gap between traditional financial systems and emerging blockchain-based models, supporting wider institutional access and participation.