ADX and Bahrain Bourse strengthen collaboration to enhance market liquidity

The two stock exchanges intend to achieve greater cross-border co-operation by promoting innovative products and services

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and Bahrain Bourse officials held meetings in the UAE capital this week to boost collaboration. Photo: ADX

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), the second-biggest Arab stock market, has held meetings with Bahrain Bourse to boost the strategic partnership between the two stock exchanges, aimed at achieving greater cross-border co-operation.

During the meetings held in the UAE capital this week, the two bourses took steps to further implement the co-operation agreement signed in November, the ADX said in a statement on Thursday.

The partnership aims to achieve “synergies, enhance market liquidity and promote innovative products and services”, it said.

In November, the ADX and Bahrain Bourse signed an agreement to enhance market liquidity and promote the issuance of low-cost investment vehicles. The move was part of Abu Dhabi bourse's strategy to develop its capital markets by forging partnerships with global exchanges and offering a broad range of products and services to the market.

The partnership highlights the central role that capital market development plays in regional growth, Saeed Al Dhaheri, managing director and chief executive of ADX, said.

The exchanges are making strong progress in the implementation of an action plan that will provide significant opportunity to issuers and regional and global investors, he added. “We hope that this partnership will serve as a template for broader relationships with a number of regional exchanges in the coming years.”

ADX is expanding investable asset classes and developing new offerings for regional and international investors as it continues to outperform its peers in the GCC. It more than doubled its market capitalisation last year to a record Dh1.6 trillion — making it one of the best performing exchanges globally in 2021.

The bourse embarked on several new initiatives to boost its market capitalisation as part of its new strategy. Launched at the beginning of last year, the ADX One strategy comprises 22 projects to enhance corporate governance and introduce new products and services that meet the requirements of issuers and global investors.

Bahrain Bourse and ADX are making progress on a range of strategic initiatives that support the further growth and diversification of the regional economy, said Sheikh Khalifa bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, chief executive of Bahrain Bourse and vice chairman and managing director of Bahrain Clear.

“Our aim is to ensure that our capital markets continue to support the development of an increasingly dynamic corporate landscape, while offering investors easy, cost-efficient access to a wider range of opportunities to participate in growth … we look forward to launching these initiatives later this year,” he said.

Established in 1987, Bahrain Bourse is a self-regulated multi-asset marketplace operator.