ADX Block Trade in the United Arab Emirates
Block-trade financing and discreet execution for large lines listed on Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) — the United Arab Emirates principal cash-equity venue.
From enquiry to print.
| — | Stage | What happens | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Confidential enquiry | The line, the holding and the objective, shared through a secure channel. | Day one |
| 02 | Pricing the block | The line is sized and a price set against it; any discount reflects size and liquidity. | 1–2 days |
| 03 | Execution & print | Worked off the order book or negotiated, then printed under the exchange’s block-trade rules. | On the day |
| 04 | Settlement & disclosure | Settles on the standard cycle; any substantial-holding disclosure is sequenced around the print. | T+1 / T+2 |
About Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.
Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange is the principal cash-equity venue of the United Arab Emirates. Founded in 2000, it operates under the oversight of Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), and its leading benchmarks are FTSE ADX 15, ADX General Index. Listing standards are set out in the ADX Listing Rules; SCA Rulebook.
ADX at a glance:
| Listed venue | Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) |
| Currency | AED |
| Settlement | T+2 |
| Disclosure threshold | 5% |
| Principal indices | FTSE ADX 15, ADX General Index |
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.
On ADX, a block is sized against the name’s daily turnover and the register. The FTSE ADX 15 and General Index names, and the ADNOC-linked and other sovereign-affiliated listings, absorb the largest tickets; Second and Growth Market lines clear more slowly and are priced accordingly. A transfer that carries a party across the Securities and Commodities Authority notification levels is reported to the market, and ADX foreign-ownership limits constrain who may stand on the other side. Settlement runs T+2 through the ADX central depository, which fixes when the transfer completes.
What qualifies on ADX.
ADX is an established but selective venue; we weigh eligibility against the stock’s liquidity, free float, and how concentrated the holding is.
For any given ADX position, our review looks at: free float and daily traded volume against the size of the transaction; your status (controlling shareholder, director, substantial shareholder) and the disclosure that follows; the issuer’s sector and listing segment; and what the transaction must do (LTV, tenor, currency, recourse, custody).
Framework cited on ADX.
The principal regulatory reference on ADX is SCA disclosure rules. How it applies to any single transaction — reporting levels, step thresholds — turns on the underlying rules and national-law overlays, which we map against your contemplated transaction at the structuring stage alongside the counsel you appoint.
The citations above are public regulatory references, given for orientation only and not as legal advice. Take independent legal advice in the relevant jurisdiction for any specific transaction.
What holders ask about ADX.
01How is a large ADX position placed without moving the price?
02How is a block printed on ADX?
03Which ADX segments do you handle?
04Does large-holding disclosure apply?
05What is the substantial-holding threshold on ADX?
06How does a ADX block settle?
07Can you handle a block for an offshore seller on ADX?
Related guides.
What Is a Block Trade, and How Does One Work?
A block trade is the off-market sale of a large line of listed shares at a negotiated price, executed bilaterally and printed under exchange rules to avoid moving the open market.
Read → Block TradesHow Do You Sell a Large Block of Shares Without Moving the Price?
A large block is sold without moving the price by taking it off the open order book — negotiating off-market at an agreed price, often with a liquidity provider taking the risk, and printing under exchange block rules.
Read → DisclosureDo Block Trades Have to Be Disclosed?
Often yes. Once a significant shareholder crosses a market’s substantial-holding threshold, a block sale is generally notifiable to the regulator within a set window, with thresholds varying by jurisdiction.
Read →A particular ADX holding to talk through?
Send a confidential enquiry, and a senior principal will reply within one business day.