Nasdaq Dubai trading volume increases 62%

08 April 2009

Nasdaq Dubai said its equities trading volumes increased to 1.04 billion in the first quarter of 2009, a rise of 62 per cent from the first quarter of 2008 (640 million) and of 27 percent from the fourth quarter (817 million).

Trading in equity derivatives has also increased since they were listed on the exchange in November 2008. In March, 6,816 equity futures contracts traded, up from 386 in February and 90 in January. A total of 6,865 Dubai Gold Securities (DGS) traded in March since they listed on March 2. DGS are designed to track the spot price of gold and have been declared Shariah-compliant. The DGS listing was the first listing on any stock exchange in the GCC in 2009.

"Nasdaq Dubai has experienced healthy growth in trading volumes and has listed innovative products. Retail and institutional investors are trading an increasing range of securities and other instruments on our market," said Jeff Singer, Chief Executive of Nasdaq Dubai.