The ETF landscape in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is entering a new phase of development.
Across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and beyond, exchanges are seeing rapid growth in ETF listings, Sharia innovation, cross-border partnerships, and rising investor participation.
Digital brokers, sovereign wealth funds, and a new generation of first-time investors—not traditional institutions—now shape how ETFs are discovered and used. And with sovereign funds controlling over US$4–5 trillion, the firms securing early traction in the GCC will define the region’s next market leaders.
The GCC ETF Market Report breaks down this shift. It reveals how Saudi Arabia and the UAE have become the region’s ETF hubs, why Sharia and fixed-income products lead demand, how Hong Kong–Saudi ETF corridors are reshaping global access, and how regulation, fintech, and demographics are creating the Middle East’s most dynamic ETF landscape to date.
Total on-exchange ETF assets in the GCC are around US$1.6 billion
The first Saudi-focused ETF in Hong Kong holds US$1.34 billion AUM
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar have 35 ETFs listed in total
Retail investors may account for 25–30% of ETF trading in Saudi Arabia and the UAE by 2030
If you want clarity on what’s really driving ETF expansion in the Middle East—and how to align your strategy with the forces reshaping the region—this report gives you the insight, direction, and edge to lead the next phase of growth.
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