Dubai’s main stock index closed higher at the end of the week, supported strong corporate earnings from property giant Emaar Properties and its subsidiary Emaar Development, while Abu Dhabi’s benchmark snapped a nine session winning streak.
The Dubai Financial Market index rose 0.2 percent, with Emaar Properties climbing 1.2 percent after reporting a 30 percent increase in full year profit to 17.60 billion dirhams. Emaar Development advanced 3.5 percent as its annual profit surged 48 percent to 11.32 billion dirhams. The earnings exceeded market expectations and reinforced investor confidence in the resilience of Dubai’s property sector.
Emaar Properties, known globally as the developer of the Burj Khalifa, has benefited from sustained demand in the emirate’s real estate market. Strong off plan sales, rising property prices and continued inflows of international buyers have supported profitability across the sector. Analysts note that Dubai’s real estate cycle has remained robust, driven population growth, business migration and expanding tourism activity.
Despite the gains in property stocks, not all Dubai listed companies shared the positive momentum. Talabat Holding, one of the region’s largest online food delivery platforms, fell nearly 10 percent, marking its sharpest decline since listing in late 2024. The drop followed an 11 percent decrease in fourth quarter profit to 123 million dollars, raising concerns about margin pressures in the competitive digital services sector.
In Abu Dhabi, the benchmark index declined 0.5 percent to 10,636 points, ending a nine day streak of consecutive gains. Banking stocks weighed on performance, with Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank falling 2.4 percent. Investors also reacted cautiously ahead of full year results from logistics firm Agility Global, which dropped 5.3 percent during the session.
Energy and utilities shares added to the downward pressure. Abu Dhabi National Energy Company reported a 9 percent fall in quarterly revenue to 12.14 billion dirhams, prompting its shares to slip 3 percent. The earnings reflected fluctuations in energy markets and ongoing adjustments in operational costs.
Market participants said the divergence between Dubai and Abu Dhabi highlights sector specific dynamics rather than broader weakness in Gulf equities. Property and construction firms in Dubai continue to benefit from strong fundamentals, while Abu Dhabi’s index remains sensitive to banking and energy performance.
Regional investors are closely watching corporate earnings as well as global economic signals, including interest rate expectations and oil price movements. With the UAE dirham pegged to the US dollar, monetary policy developments in the United States remain an important external factor influencing liquidity and investment flows across Gulf markets.
