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Middle East & Africa Stock Loans SCA AED

United Arab Emirates Stock Loans against ADX & DFM shares

A stock loan against shares you hold on the United Arab Emirates’ principal equity venues — for family offices, founders and controlling shareholders, without selling a single share.

01 · Process
How it works

From enquiry to funding.

—StageWhat happensTiming
01Confidential enquiryThe holding and the objective, shared under NDA through a secure channel.Day one
02Indicative termsStructure, sizing and indicative pricing returned against the position.1–2 days
03Structuring & documentationKYC, share and market review; terms formalised under institutional documentation alongside your counsel.1–2 weeks
04Custody & fundingPledged shares held at a qualified custodian; collateral secured and proceeds released.On completion
02 · The Market
Middle East & Africa

United Arab Emirates equity markets.

A United Arab Emirates stock loan lets a founder, family office or controlling shareholder raise cash against a position listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange or the Dubai Financial Market without selling it, without surrendering voting control, and while staying the beneficial owner until the facility is repaid. Because the UAE dirham is pegged to the US dollar, an AED-listed line supports a USD or EUR drawdown cleanly — which is how most cross-border borrowers take the loan.

What shapes a UAE facility is the disclosure regime and the shape of the register. Under the Securities and Commodities Authority rules, an interest of 5% or more in a listed company’s shares is notifiable, and every subsequent 1% change is disclosed, with crossings of the higher control thresholds reported to the market — so the pledge and any enforcement are sequenced around that. Foreign-ownership caps are set issuer by issuer and matter directly to collateralisation and to who may hold shares on enforcement. Liquidity favours the index constituents and the large sovereign-affiliated names; thinner lines are financed more selectively. Shares settle T+2, which governs when the pledge is perfected and the loan drawn.

United Arab Emirates stock loans at a glance:

Listed venuesAbu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), Dubai Financial Market (DFM)
RegulatorSecurities and Commodities Authority (SCA)
CurrencyAED
SettlementT+2
Disclosure threshold5%
Principal indicesFTSE ADX 15, ADX General Index
StructureNon-recourse, limited- or full-recourse

Regulatory references are published for general orientation and are not legal advice.

03 · Exchanges
Two Venues

Each United Arab Emirates exchange, covered.

ADX · Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange

The principal Abu Dhabi equity venue, increasingly weighted by major sovereign-affiliated listings (ADNOC subsidiaries) and a deepening listings pipeline. Foreign ownership rules have liberalised materially since 2020.

View ADX → DFM · Dubai

Dubai Financial Market

Dubai’s principal exchange, distinct from Nasdaq Dubai (which lists in USD under DFSA jurisdiction). DFM listings are predominantly Sharia-compliant; foreign ownership caps remain a per-issuer consideration for collateralisation.

View DFM →
04 · FAQ
United Arab Emirates · Stock Loans

What holders ask about the United Arab Emirates.

01Does a share pledge in the UAE have to be disclosed?
It can. Under the Securities and Commodities Authority rules, an interest of 5% or more in a listed company’s shares is notifiable, every 1% change above that is disclosed, and the security a lender takes can itself bear on those filings. We map the exact notification and timing to your holding before anything is executed, and sequence the pledge around it.
02Can I borrow in US dollars against UAE-listed shares?
Yes, and most cross-border clients do. The UAE dirham is pegged to the US dollar, so a USD (or EUR) facility drawn against an AED-listed line carries limited residual currency risk. Where the underlying is a Nasdaq Dubai name, the shares already trade in dollars. We set out the hedging, settlement and tax points expressly in the documentation.
03How much can I borrow against United Arab Emirates-listed shares?
The loan-to-value is set to your holding — its free float, daily traded volume, volatility, and your own regulatory standing. A large-cap with deep free float supports a higher LTV than a thin mid-cap, and a non-recourse structure runs lower than a full-recourse one on the same stock. We quote indicative ratios only after reviewing the position.
04Which United Arab Emirates exchanges can I borrow against?
We cover Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and Dubai Financial Market (DFM). Financing is arranged against shares listed there; which venue applies depends on the issuer’s primary listing and how the holding trades.
05What currency can the facility be drawn in?
The default is AED, the listing currency. Cross-currency structures — drawing a USD or EUR loan against the position — are common, and bring hedging, settlement and tax points we set out expressly in the documentation.
06Who regulates these transactions in the United Arab Emirates?
Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) is the principal regulator. Black Haven Investments lends as principal; lending and any regulated activity are conducted by, or through, appropriately licensed or registered entities in the relevant jurisdiction.
07What is the settlement cycle on United Arab Emirates exchanges?
Equities listed on Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and Dubai Financial Market (DFM) generally settle on T+2. The settlement cycle governs when the pledge over the shares is perfected and the loan can be drawn, so we align the funding mechanics to it.
08At what level does a shareholding become disclosable in the United Arab Emirates?
The principal threshold is 5%, under SCA disclosure rules overseen by SCA. Crossing it — in either direction — triggers a notification, and a pledge can itself be relevant; we map the exact levels to your holding before anything is executed.
09Can a foreign or offshore holder pledge United Arab Emirates-listed shares?
Generally yes. The shares sit with a qualified custodian and are pledged to secure the facility; any foreign-ownership limits or registration requirements turn on the issuer and sector, and we check them against your specific line at the structuring stage.
10How long does it take to arrange a stock loan in the United Arab Emirates?
Indicative terms typically follow within one to two business days of a confidential enquiry. Documentation and funding usually complete within about three weeks, depending on custody onboarding and the size of the position.
05 · Adjacent Markets
Middle East & Africa

Countries adjacent to the United Arab Emirates.

Saudi Arabia · Israel · South Africa · Qatar · Kuwait · Egypt · Nigeria

All countries →

Guides

Related guides.

Fundamentals

How Much Can You Borrow Against Your Shares?

There is no flat figure. The advance against listed shares is set to the specific holding, driven by liquidity, volatility, concentration, your regulatory standing and the recourse profile you choose.

Read → Risk

What Happens If Your Stock Falls During a Loan?

If your pledged shares fall in value during a loan, what happens depends entirely on the structure you agreed at the outset — recourse facilities can call for a top-up, non-recourse facilities cannot.

Read → Process

How to Get a Stock Loan: The Process, Step by Step

Getting a stock loan runs through five disciplined stages: a confidential enquiry, indicative terms, documentation, custody and pledge, then funding under a single accountable principal.

Read →

A particular United Arab Emirates holding to talk through?

Send a confidential enquiry, and a senior principal will reply within one business day.

Enquire in Confidence