{"id":116184,"date":"2026-04-28T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/?p=116184"},"modified":"2026-04-28T03:09:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T03:09:15","slug":"uae-investors-still-back-local-markets-just-more-cautiously","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2026\/04\/28\/uae-investors-still-back-local-markets-just-more-cautiously\/","title":{"rendered":"UAE investors still back local markets, just more cautiously"},"content":{"rendered":"

UAE retail investors remain broadly c<\/strong>onfident in local markets despite the war <\/strong>and regional volatility<\/strong>, according to eToro\u2019s latest UAE Retail Investor Beat survey (pdf)<\/a> of 1k investors. Some 91% said they remain confident in the long-term performance of UAE-listed companies, while 90% expressed confidence in the wider UAE economy. Some 83% also said they hold UAE-listed stocks, only slightly below 85% in the previous survey.<\/p>\n

The conflict is clearly on investors\u2019 minds.<\/strong> Some 38% said geopolitical tensions in the Middle East would definitely impact their portfolios over the next six months, while another 40% expect some effect. Risk perceptions are rising too, with 35% now viewing the region as economically risky to invest in, up from 30% previously.<\/p>\n

That caution is feeding into shorter-term expectations: <\/strong>The share of investors forecasting strong UAE stock market growth over the next 12 months slipped to 42% from 48%, even if another 34% still see moderate growth ahead.<\/p>\n

The mood shift broadly tracks what we\u2019ve been reporting in markets: <\/strong>Dubai\u2019s DFM shed 16.4% in March<\/a> \u2014 its worst monthly drop since the pandemic \u2014 while Abu Dhabi\u2019s ADX fell 8.9%, as foreign investors turned net sellers to the tune of AED 1.06 bn across both exchanges. Analysts also told us<\/a> IPO hopefuls were pushing listings from 1H into later this year as sentiment turned more selective, with Dubai Investments the latest to potentially delay the listing of Dubai Investments Park<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The interesting twist is longer-term optimism. <\/strong>The majority of investors now believe Middle Eastern markets will generate the strongest returns over five years or more, rising to 60% from 58%. eToro\u2019s George Naddaf said investors see \u201chigher risk but higher return potential,\u201d with short-term tensions likely not derailing the region\u2019s broader investment thesis.<\/p>\n

Portfolio behavior backs that up: <\/strong>Fewer investors are increasing contributions, with 57% saying they added to portfolios over the past three months versus 65% previously. Still, most are not heading for the exits. Some 80% said they have adjusted or plan to adjust portfolios in response to tensions, with precious metals the top beneficiary (56%), followed by energy commodities (43%) and global equities outside affected regions (31%).<\/p>\n

What are they still backing at home? <\/strong>Real estate topped sector optimism at 54% (notable given property stocks were among the hardest hit during March\u2019s selloff), followed by technology and energy.<\/p>\n

Naddaf said the data points to \u201ca clear shift in behavior rather than a loss of confidence<\/strong>,\u201d with investors staying in the market but sharpening their focus on resilience, diversification, and risk management.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

91% remain confident in UAE-listed companies, even as investors rotate toward gold, energy, and more defensive positioning amid war-driven volatility<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":116185,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"_primary_brand":0,"newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1547],"tags":[29,143,7,1342,98,1477],"brand":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"class_list":["post-116184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-capital-markets","tag-capital-markets","tag-energy","tag-enterpriseam-uae","tag-investment","tag-real-estate","tag-technology","wpautop","entry"],"acf":{"mongo_id":"8a2992cc-e788-4286-b8d6-f1a8a524c0e6","order":"8","is_powered_by":false,"story_type":"1","photo_url":"https:\/\/ent.news\/2025\/9\/1678.jpg","photo_position":"above","homepage_title":"","full_issue_title":"Confidence, with caution","related_issue":[116171],"teaser":"91% remain confident in UAE-listed companies, even as investors rotate toward gold, energy, and more defensive positioning amid war-driven volatility"},"yoast_head":"\nUAE investors still back local markets, just more cautiously - 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