The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) has rebranded its Second Market, a key equity market on the exchange that connects investors and privately owned businesses, to The Growth Market, complementing Abu Dhabi’s fast-developing ecosystem for companies that are looking to catalyze their growth.
The Growth Market offers companies access to a wide investor base, key support from the ADX on investor engagement and an opportunity to enhance their brand equity. It also presents an ideal path for companies to begin their capital markets journey with companies able to directly list shares on the exchange, without the need for an initial public offering (IPO).
This growing and strong ecosystem are designed to help companies boost their growth while gaining invaluable experience of having their shares being publicly traded along with the wider associated benefits such as access to capital and funding, enhanced governance and increased liquidity for shareholders.
The rebranding is a better representation of the nature of the companies that are currently listed and looking to list on the market as part of ADX’s ongoing efforts to encourage start-ups, family businesses and early-growth companies to begin their journeys as listed companies.
Hisham Khalid Malak Chairman – ADX
“The Growth Market is an integral part of the ecosystem that Abu Dhabi is building to nurture the business, from start-ups through to maturity. Abu Dhabi provides one of the most business-friendly environments in the world, which has been enhanced by an accommodating legal framework and government initiatives to promote opportunities for the private sector. The Growth Market will provide confidence to owners of companies and investors that there is a clear and straightforward pathway for companies to begin their capital markets journey in Abu Dhabi.”
The Growth Market is open to businesses from any industry, including sectors as diverse as sports, transportation, wholesale trading and healthcare. Moreover, the listing and disclosure requirements have been customized specifically for this category of companies, ensuring that governance and the process are both rigorous and streamlined.
With a market capitalization of $16.8 billion, the Growth Market delivered robust performance last year, allowing companies to enhance their market share and fuel their growth. The value of shares traded on the Growth Market in 2021 exceeded $4.3 billion, while the total number of companies listed on the market increased to 13.
The rebranding follows the unveiling of a new brand and logo for the exchange last year. The exchange celebrated the launch of the Growth Market with a bell-ringing ceremony held at its headquarters.
Mr. Saeed Hamad Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and CEO of ADX, said that “As we continue to execute on our ADX One strategy we endeavor to both revaluate our existing offering and introduce new products and services which enhance connectivity between investors and companies looking for differentiated opportunities for growth.”
