Ian Johnston, Chief Executive, Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), stated that by the first quarter of 2024, Nasdaq Dubai had acquired more than 50 percent of USD-denominated sustainable sukuk - environmental, social and governance sukuk. This shows the increasing attraction towards sustainable investments and establishes Nasdaq Dubai as a favoured platform for such offerings.

"Sustainable finance requires mobilising trillions of dollars in private capital to have a real chance of achieving net-zero emissions," he said at the closing ceremony of the Capital Markets Summit 2024 in Dubai today. He stressed that the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), with its strong infrastructure and sound regulatory framework, can play a major global role in mobilising private capital for sustainable finance.

He added that the DIFC and Nasdaq Dubai have established themselves as a global centre for the issuance and listing of sustainable bonds and instruments, attracting issuers from various sectors and countries around the world.

Johnston also noted that the DFSA announced a pioneering initiative during COP28, which includes a full waiver of regulatory fees for listing sustainability-related securities in 2024. These first-of-their-kind exemptions aim to stimulate and promote the development of a strong and sustainable capital market within the DIFC. He pointed out that companies have saved tens of thousands of dollars in regulatory fees on their transactions.