ABU DHABI, March 7, 2026, 12:23 (GST)
Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange’s main index slipped 1.4% on Friday, bringing its weekly loss to over 5% after three straight days of declines that followed an unusual two-day market closure. Aldar Properties, Emirates Telecommunications Group, and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank weighed most heavily on shares during Friday’s session.
It’s relevant now since ADX and Dubai’s exchange stayed closed March 2 and 3—missile and drone attacks targeted airports, ports, even residential districts in the UAE. Closures like this almost never happen unless it’s a holiday or a day of mourning. Trading only resumed Wednesday, so investors had to recalibrate everything in a shortened stretch.
ADX and regulators moved to contain the drop. The bourse said it will temporarily cap daily losses for individual stocks at 5%, and also called on listed companies to assess their financial and operational risks and report any significant effects on investors.
Wednesday’s reopening in Abu Dhabi didn’t go smoothly. The index ended the day down 1.9%, after skidding as much as 3.6% at the open. First Abu Dhabi Bank tumbled 5%, Dana Gas also dropped 5%, TAQA slipped 4.9%, and Aldar finished 5% lower.
Sellers stayed active Thursday. The index dropped 2.2%, with FAB slipping 1.2%, Aldar tumbling 5%, and ADCB losing 4.7%. Friday brought more pain: Aldar sank another 4.9%, ADCB slid 2.9%, and e& ended down 3.8%.
The latest session on ADX saw 1.81 billion dirhams in turnover, with 551.6 million shares changing hands across 29,482 trades, according to official figures. Trading volumes remained robust—even with temporary curbs in place on the exchange.
Pepperstone research strategist Ahmad Assiri sees the UAE potentially “follow[ing] this recovery template to some extent,” with Saudi Arabia already having taken the brunt of the initial shock earlier in the week. XS.com’s Samer Hasn expects the UAE market could deliver a “stronger-than-expected rebound” after the first bout of selling subsides. Reuters
Regional markets diverged. Dubai’s main index slid 3.2% on Friday and dropped around 9% for the week—marking its steepest weekly loss in almost six years. Over in Saudi Arabia, the benchmark closed Thursday with a 0.8% rise, finishing the week 0.6% higher as stronger oil prices buoyed sentiment.
Next week brings a straightforward risk: if regional tensions flare up again or travel chaos drags on, UAE stocks could see more downside when the market opens. Emirates and Etihad, after days of suspension, brought back only a handful of flights on Friday. The UAE Capital Markets Authority said it’s still watching the situation and may step in to safeguard investors.
