Emirates NBD has issued AED 1 billion in three year fixed rate Digitally Native Notes, marking the first ever AED denominated digital bond and the largest public digital bond issued in the Middle East and North Africa.
Listed on Nasdaq Dubai, the transaction positions the bank at the forefront of digital capital markets and reinforces the UAE’s role as a regional hub for financial innovation.
The bond was offered publicly under Emirates NBD’s Euro Medium Term Note Programme and leverages distributed ledger technology through Euroclear’s Digital Financial Market Infrastructure platform. The fully digital structure enables end to end digitisation of the bond lifecycle, from issuance to settlement, while maintaining compatibility with established market infrastructure.
Listing on Nasdaq Dubai provides transparent price discovery, access to secondary market trading, and alignment with international regulatory and operational standards. The notes represent the first digitally native bond admitted to trading on the exchange.
The issuance attracted a broad and diversified investor base, reflecting confidence in Emirates NBD’s credit strength and digital execution capabilities. Emirates NBD Capital, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Mashreq, and Standard Chartered acted as Joint Lead Managers, with Emirates NBD Capital and Standard Chartered also serving as Joint Digitally Native Note Structurers. Citi was appointed Issuing and Paying Agent.
The transaction builds on the growing adoption of digital debt instruments globally and follows Euroclear’s earlier digital issuances, including work with the World Bank. It comes amid strong momentum in regional debt capital markets, driven by rising investor demand and increased issuance by sovereign and corporate borrowers across the Middle East.
News Source: Dubai Media Office
