Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange Group and Al Ramz Capital have named the winners of the second round of their investment and trading competition, extending a financial-literacy initiative designed to give individual investors practical exposure to live market conditions.The second round was won by Omar Alhadhrami, who posted a one-month performance of 9.1 per cent and received 1 million Etihad Guest Miles. Abdallah Alashkar placed second with 8.7 per cent, earning 500,000 miles, while Ismail Hussein ranked third with 8 per cent and received 250,000 miles. The third round opens on June 25 and will run until July 24, with investors holding active Al Ramz trading accounts eligible to take part.
The competition, developed by ADX and Al Ramz Capital, reflects a broader push across Abu Dhabi’s capital markets to move financial education beyond classroom-style awareness campaigns and into direct investor participation. Participants compete through real market activity rather than simulated portfolios, with performance assessed through time-weighted return, a measure intended to separate trading skill from portfolio size.
That methodology is central to the initiative’s design. By ranking investors on percentage performance rather than the absolute value of their accounts, organisers aim to avoid giving an automatic advantage to larger portfolios. Competitors also have access to market data, company information, research and investment insights made available through ADX, allowing them to test strategies in an environment that mirrors actual trading decisions.
The initiative comes as retail participation in Abu Dhabi’s equity market continues to expand alongside institutional and foreign flows. ADX’s total trading value exceeded AED385 billion in 2025, up 12.6 per cent from the previous year, while the number of trades rose to 5.6 million. Retail investors accounted for AED167 billion in buy-and-sell trading value during the year, a rise of 22.9 per cent, underscoring the importance of investor education as more individuals engage with listed securities.
ADX has also been widening its product base and market infrastructure. The exchange ended 2025 with market capitalisation of about AED3.13 trillion and more than 1.2 million investors from over 200 nationalities. Its listed universe includes equities, exchange-traded funds, debt instruments and derivatives, with the market positioning itself as the second largest exchange in the Arab region by capitalisation.
The Al Ramz competition sits within that transformation, blending rewards with investor training at a time when UAE residents have growing access to a wider range of savings and investment products. The launch of retail-focused sovereign sukuk, expansion of exchange-traded funds and wider digital access to brokerage platforms have increased the need for financial awareness, particularly around risk, diversification, valuation and disciplined trading.
Al Ramz Capital, founded in 1998, is listed on the Dubai Financial Market and regulated by the Securities and Commodities Authority and the Dubai Financial Services Authority. Its activities include brokerage, asset management, corporate finance, market making, margin trading, liquidity provision and investment research. The firm’s role in the competition gives participants access to a regulated trading channel while linking the contest to an established market intermediary.
For ADX, the initiative adds to a sequence of investor-education programmes aimed at schools, universities, new investors and market participants. The exchange has supported virtual trading platforms, academic partnerships and financial-literacy campaigns, including efforts connected to Global Money Week and youth-focused money management awareness. The competition expands that agenda by placing investors inside a live-market framework where outcomes depend on timing, stock selection and risk control.
The rewards structure is designed to sustain participation across monthly rounds. The first edition offered a top prize of 1 million Etihad Guest Miles, with additional awards for top performers. The first round, announced in April, named G. Rahal, K. Basarda and A. Alqubaisi among the winners. The continuation into further rounds suggests the format has gained traction among investors seeking both recognition and practical market experience.
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