EFG Hermes ONE enables digital onboarding for DFM investors

EFG Hermes UAE LLC has launched a fully digital onboarding service for investors in partnership with the Dubai Financial Market (DFM), enabling users of the EFG Hermes ONE trading and investment app to obtain a DFM investor number (NIN) and open a trading account directly from their mobile phones without paperwork or branch visits. The rollout gives investors immediate access to DFM-listed securities through a streamlined, mobile-first process designed for GCC and regional clients.

"The digital onboarding service reflects the development of the exchange’s digital infrastructure and the role of regulated platforms in expanding investor access," said Khalifa Rabba, Chief Operating Officer of DFM.

How the service works and recent market context

EFG Hermes ONE’s new capability lets retail and regional investors complete the entire onboarding journey — from identity verification to account activation — within the app. EFG Hermes says the move builds on its existing partnership with DFM and its investments in technology and client services in the UAE.

• Alaa Moustafa, Managing Director of Individual Retail Sales at EFG Hermes, said the company’s digital onboarding "builds on its partnership with DFM and its investment in technology and client services in the UAE."
• Hatem Mohab, Co-Head of Digital Retail Trading Platform at EFG Hermes, described the launch as part of the firm's "wider digitalization strategy" intended to simplify the process of starting to invest through EFG Hermes ONE.
• Afra Al Suwaidi, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Central Securities Depository (CSD), emphasised that the service would "simplify the process for investors seeking access to the Dubai market."

The launch coincides with a period of elevated activity on DFM. In the first half of 2026 the exchange onboarded 42,864 new investors, with foreign nationals making up 71.4 percent of new registrations. Total traded value on DFM reached $32.5 billion (AED119.5 billion) in H1 2026, a 40.4 percent increase year-on-year, while average daily traded value rose 45.1 percent to $273.3 million (AED1.004 billion).

Foreign investors accounted for 51 percent of total traded value during the period, and institutional investors represented 71.2 percent. DFM’s total market capitalisation stood at $267.3 billion (AED981.6 billion) at the end of June 2026.

EFG Hermes reported strong market positions in the same period, ranking first on DFM with a 48.52 percent market share and on Nasdaq Dubai with a 65.69 percent market share during H1 2026.

Outlook

The digital onboarding feature is positioned to lower barriers for international and regional investors to participate in Dubai equity markets, leveraging mobile convenience and regulatory integration between broker and exchange systems. If uptake follows the broader inflows seen in H1 2026 — when foreign participation and traded volumes surged — the offering could further boost retail engagement and widen distribution of DFM-listed securities through EFG Hermes’ digital channel.