In June, most of the Arab stock markets experienced a notable uptrend, positively impacting the market capitalization across various leading markets in the region. This growth was bolstered by an improvement in the political and economic conditions within the region, while the quarterly performance of the markets displayed mixed results.
These market movements were not isolated from the global landscape, as they were influenced by expectations surrounding international monetary policies and geopolitical developments that significantly affect economic activity. The ongoing uncertainty stemming from the “trade war” initiated by former President Donald Trump and the ongoing trade negotiations also played a role in shaping market behavior.
June was marked by several key factors that energized the markets, particularly concerning geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, where a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel heightened regional fears about potential escalations and their broader implications, before a ceasefire announcement alleviated many of those concerns.
Dubai at a 17-Year High
The Dubai Financial Market demonstrated robust performance since the start of this year, ranking as one of the best among the Gulf exchanges. This success can be attributed to a strong national economy and solid gains from major listed stocks, alongside rising demand from institutional investors and foreign buyers.
Data analysis reveals that the Dubai Financial Market Index surged by 10.61% since the beginning of 2025, climbing from 5,158.67 points at the end of December to 5,705.76 points by the end of June, adding approximately 88.4 billion dirhams to its market capitalization and reaching its highest level in 17 years. The index rose by 4.11% in June, resulting in a market gain of around 25.5 billion dirhams during the month.
The market capitalization of listed Dubai stocks increased from 906.9 billion dirhams at the end of December to 995.34 billion dirhams at the latest June session of 2025.
Since the beginning of 2025, foreign investors (non-Arabs) have shown a strong buying interest in the Dubai market, registering a net investment of 3.7 billion dirhams, with purchases totaling 37.24 billion dirhams against sales of 33.5 billion dirhams.
Gains in Abu Dhabi
The FTSE Abu Dhabi General Market Index (FADX) appreciated by 2.81% in June, closing at 9,957.52 points, accumulating a rise of 5.7% year-to-date.
The market capitalization of Abu Dhabi increased by around 181.4 billion dirhams, reaching 3.09 trillion dirhams. Foreign investors (non-Arabs) also targeted buying, resulting in a net investment of 14.57 billion dirhams.
Monthly Gains, Quarterly Losses in Saudi Arabia
In Saudi Arabia, the main index ended a four-month streak of losses, rising in June by 1.6% to close at 11,163.96 points. However, despite June’s gains, the index recorded a decline of over 7% in the second quarter, marking the third consecutive quarterly loss and the largest drop of its kind in nearly two and a half years. It also saw a more than 7% decline in the first half of the year.
The market capitalization of listed shares reached 9.126 trillion riyals by the end of the first half, compared to 10.2 trillion riyals at the end of last year.
Monthly Gains in Kuwait
The Kuwaiti stock market indicators also recorded collective monthly gains in June. The market value of traded shares increased to 50.53 billion dinars, up approximately 4.7% (over 2 billion dollars). These gains were driven by growth in nine key sectors, while four sectors saw declines.
The primary index closed the month at 9,187.51 points, reflecting a 4.41% increase compared to May, marking the second consecutive month of growth. The general index rose by 4.22% to close at 8,455.16 points. The main market index also increased by 3.27% to reach 7,194.56 points.
Trading values in June totaled 2.08 billion dinars, while trading volumes reached 9.24 billion shares through 496.93 thousand executed deals.
By the end of June, the Kuwaiti stock market showed seasonal increases (quarterly and half-yearly). The market value rose by roughly 16% in the first half of 2025.
Qatar’s Stock Market Shows Gains
In Doha, Qatari stocks registered a monthly market capitalization increase of 15.32 billion riyals, totaling 635.35 billion riyals. The primary index rose by 2.74% during June (marking its third consecutive monthly gain), supported by growth in six key sectors, and closing at 10,749.48 points, an increase of 286.44 points from May’s closing. The index also surged about 5% in the second quarter, reflecting the highest quarterly close in a year and a half.
Monthly trading values totaled 10.01 billion riyals, with trading volumes reaching 4.07 billion shares across 464.31 thousand deals.
Muscat Index Travels in Reverse
Conversely, the Muscat Stock Exchange displayed contrary trends, with its main index closing at 4,500.874 points in June, reflecting a decrease of 60.16 points or 1.32% compared to May levels.
Monthly trading values amounted to 229 million riyals, rising by 53.5% compared to the previous month, which recorded 149 million riyals. The market capitalization reached 28.27 billion riyals, which is a 1.23% increase from the prior month at 27.93 billion riyals.
Collective Gains in Egypt’s Stock Market
Egypt’s stock market indices concluded June on a positive note, albeit with varying rates. The main index, EGX 30, rose by about 0.5% to close at 32,857.62 points, while the EGX 70 Equal Weight Index, focused on small and mid-cap stocks, climbed by 4.84% to close at 9,967.14 points. The EGX 100 Equal Weight Index increased by 4.07%, finishing the month at 13,477.29 points.
Egypt’s market capitalization gained approximately 53.3 billion Egyptian pounds in June, reflecting a 2.3% increase to reach 2.345 trillion pounds.
Trading values increased to 1.445 trillion pounds during the month, with a volume of 26.425 billion shares spread across 2.057 million transactions, compared to a total trading value of 1.086 trillion pounds and a volume of 57.774 billion shares executed over 2.124 million transactions in May.