Nearly four million global investors will now be able to directly trade in the UAE, as the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) on Thursday onboarded Thndr, a leading retail investment platform in the Mena region, as its first remote retail trading member.

Thndr, a Hub71 start-up, is one of Mena's first fully digital investment platforms and is regulated by the Abu Dhabi Global Market's (ADGM) Financial Services Regulatory Authority.

In 2024 alone, Thndr recorded over $13 billion in trading value and executed 12 million trades. With more than four million downloads, access to three markets – the UAE, Egypt, and the US – and a wide range of asset classes, including stocks, gold, mutual funds, and savings products, Thndr is building an investment one-stop shop.

Thndr users will soon be able to invest directly in some of the most valuable listed companies and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the UAE through its mobile investment platform.

Remote trading members allow more individuals, international brokers, and institutions to buy and sell ADX-listed securities, in line with many international practices, without the need for physical presence in the UAE, thereby growing and diversifying the investor base, attracting foreign investment, improving liquidity, and driving more trading activity.

Abdulla Salem Alnuaimi, Group Chief Executive Officer of the ADX, said:“As the first exchange in the GCC to welcome Thndr, we are demonstrating our commitment to financial inclusion and our leadership in unlocking new investment opportunities in Abu Dhabi's robust capital market. We are setting a benchmark for digital innovation and cross-border collaboration in financial services as we continue to be a key driver in Abu Dhabi's transition to a knowledge- and investment-led economy.”

Launched in Egypt in 2020, Thndr has transformed investing in the region by leveraging technology to provide a modern and seamless investment solution to help users grow their wealth through an array of products.

“This partnership gives our users the chance to invest in one of the region's strongest-performing markets over the past 5, 10, and 15 years, while also opening doors to exposure within Mena through Tabadul as well as beyond Mena. As an Egyptian founder, this moment is personal, it's about building on the historic ties between Egypt and the UAE and creating new bridges for our communities to grow, invest, and win together,” said Ahmad Hammouda, Co-founder and CEO of Thndr.

“This launch is a major milestone for Thndr and a testament to an incredible partnership. The entire Thndr team worked as a united front with ADX, FSRA, Hub71, Emirates NBD, and E& to clear major hurdles and ultimately make it simple for local and foreign individuals to participate in the UAE's impressive growth story. This collaboration truly showcases why the UAE, with ADGM at the forefront, is a beacon of progress for the region,” said Seif Amr, Thndr's Co-founder and Board Member.

The onboarding of Thndr supports ADX's key initiatives, such as the Tabadul platform, the first digital exchange center in the region that is based on the mutual market access model, and complements strategic partnerships with global exchanges by fostering innovation, enabling knowledge transfer, and advancing cross-border collaboration.

With a market capitalisation of Dh3.1 trillion, the ADX reflects Abu Dhabi's role as a dynamic global investment hub. The ADX has been the best-performing market in the GCC region, outperforming the MSCI Emerging Markets Index over the past decade and global indices over the past 20 years.

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