Dubai, UAE — June 2026 — Dubai Financial Market announced that it has received official recognition from the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority as a foreign trading venue, marking a significant step in the exchange’s ongoing strategy to broaden international investor access.
According to the Emirates News Agency, the recognition allows Swiss market participants supervised by FINMA to connect directly to DFM’s trading platform, and also enables the trading of securities issued by Switzerland-incorporated companies on the Dubai exchange. In doing so, it establishes a regulated bridge between two of the world’s most prominent financial centers.
For Swiss financial institutions, the recognition opens a direct, formalized channel into DFM’s broader market ecosystem, while simultaneously paving the way for Swiss-domiciled equities to reach Dubai’s investor base.
The development reflects the strength of DFM’s regulatory framework, which operates under the oversight of the UAE’s Capital Markets Authority, as well as the deepening ties between UAE and Swiss regulators. Both authorities are signatories to the IOSCO Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding on consultation, cooperation, and information exchange.
Hamed Ali, CEO of DFM and Nasdaq Dubai, described the FINMA recognition as a milestone in the exchange’s international growth ambitions. Waleed Saeed Al Awadi, CEO of the UAE’s Capital Markets Authority, echoed that sentiment, highlighting the regulatory dimension of the move.
DFM’s investor base currently exceeds 1.2 million registered investors from 212 nationalities, with foreign investors accounting for roughly 85 percent of that total, a cosmopolitan foundation the exchange aims to deepen further through accreditations of this kind.
The FINMA recognition aligns with DFM’s broader strategy to position Dubai as a gateway connecting regional and global capital markets, and fits squarely within the emirate’s wider ambitions to grow its financial sector and attract cross-border capital flows.
