MENA IPO Summit: Dubai plans incentives to private companies looking to list on DFM

MENA IPO Summit: Dubai plans incentives to private companies looking to list on DFM

The Dubai Financial Market will shift its focus to attracting more private sector companies to list on the bourse this year, its CEO Hamed Ali said on Tuesday. “For us, the private sector is the top priority. The government’s pipeline of IPOs will continue to come into the market. Right now, the focus of the DFM is to expand on the momentum we have from events such as the MENA IPO Summit and help private companies benefit from the IPOs.” He was speaking on the second day of the Summit. Ali said the DFM is particularly interested in encouraging companies from underrepresented sectors to go for listings. DFM hopes to give these firms incentives to enhance their interest in listing on the market. “We are looking at providing incentives such as extra mentoring or support for the transition to IPO. We’re also looking at financial incentives and waivers to help them enter the market,” explained Ali. Over the two days since the summit opened, Dubai has welcomed cooperative societies, family-owned enterprises, and small- and medium-sized enterprises to list on the market. Mohamed Khalifa Al Hadari, Deputy CEO, Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), also confirmed that four free zones and two