The UAE's first Sovereign Retail T-Sukuk Programme officially began trading on Nasdaq Dubai this week after attracting subscription requests worth AED445 million, nearly nine times its original AED50 million target, prompting the Ministry of Finance to double the issuance size to AED100 million.
Mohamed bin Hadi Al Hussaini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs, rang the opening bell at Nasdaq Dubai's headquarters in the Dubai International Financial Centre, marking the culmination of a subscription period that ran from June 24 to 30. The ceremony drew senior financial officials, banking partners and media to celebrate the launch of secondary market trading for the programme, which was designed specifically for individual investors.
Retail investors subscribing up to AED10,000 made up 76 percent of the subscriber base, while UAE nationals accounted for 72 percent. Young investors under 25 and women together represented 45 percent of subscribers, a result officials pointed to as evidence of growing financial inclusion.
Al Hussaini said the listing reflects the Ministry's strategy to strengthen domestic capital markets and diversify sovereign funding sources while offering secure investment options. Younis Haji AlKhoori, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, noted the programme also supports the Year of Family 2026 by encouraging household financial resilience.
Hamed Ali, Chief Executive Officer of Nasdaq Dubai and Dubai Financial Market, said the listing lowers barriers to government-backed fixed income investment for retail participants.
The two-year sukuk carries a profit rate of 4.30 percent annually, distributed every six months, with a minimum investment threshold of AED1,000. Partner banks included Emirates NBD, Emirates Islamic, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Mashreq and Ajman Bank.
Nasdaq Dubai now hosts more than $98.6 billion in outstanding sukuk listings and over $141 billion in outstanding debt securities.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
