Dubai and Abu Dhabi Lose 2.3% in a Week Dominated by Security Concerns

The Dubai Financial Market index closed at 5,734.19 points on Friday, October 23, 2026, falling 2.27% over five sessions, according to Al Bayan newspaper. The FTSE Abu Dhabi General Index (FADGI) closed at 9,588.41 points, dropping 2.26% during the same period.

Emirates NBD shares fell 3.5% and Emaar Properties lost 2.1% on Friday, according to market data. Emaar accounted for the largest share of Dubai's liquidity at 890.9 million AED, followed by Emirates NBD at 344.8 million AED, and DEWA at 149.4 million AED.

During the week, shares of Air Arabia rose 5.4%, National International Holding increased 5.16%, Mashreq Bank gained 2.45%, and Takaful Emarat climbed 1.74%. Conversely, Aman dropped 20.2%, Salama declined 18.6%, and Ekttitab Holding fell 11.96%.

In Abu Dhabi, ADNOC Gas led activity with liquidity of 938 million AED, followed by International Holding Company (IHC) with 645.25 million AED, and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) with 555.6 million AED. Gulf Cement shares jumped 32.1% and Aram Group surged 10%, while Anan Investment dropped 14.2% and Al Seer Marine fell 12.4%. The decline came despite rising oil prices, as security concerns outweighed the impact of higher crude following the closure of beaches in the Northern Emirates due to an oil spill.

What Do These Terms Mean?

Dubai Financial Market Index: The benchmark index for the Dubai stock exchange, measuring the performance of a group of its largest listed companies such as real estate and banks.

FTSE Abu Dhabi Index: The general index for the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, tracking the performance of companies listed in the emirate.

Liquidity: The total value of funds traded through buying and selling during a session or period, used as an indicator of market activity.