Dubai Financial Market planning to allow short-selling

Dubai Financial Market (DFM), the Gulf’s only listed stock exchange, said on Tuesday that it planned to introduce covered short-selling, a move that could increase trading liquidity.

“DFM is planning implementation of regulated short-selling on a selected list of eligible securities in accordance with international recommendations under local market conditions in the coming months, subject to regulatory approvals of its rules,” it said in a statement to Reuters.

The exchange has completed consultations on the operating model and is now working on technical enhancements of its planned short-selling system, it said.

Covered short-selling involves investors borrowing shares and selling them in the hope of repurchasing them later at a lower price.

Regulators in the Gulf have until now shied away from the practice because of concern that it could destabilise markets, but some countries including Saudi Arabia and Qatar have said they plan to introduce it.

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange Chief Executive Abdullah al-Blooshi said last week that the bourse would introduce covered short-selling in the first quarter of 2017.

He said the exchange was acting after the United Arab Emirates market regulator approved rules for the practice.