Swiss regulator allows brokers to trade directly on DIFX

Notes and media contacts

About DIFX
The DIFX is the region's first international financial exchange for equities, bonds, Islamic products, funds, index products and (subject to regulatory approval) derivatives. The target areas of the DIFX for seeking issuers include the Middle East and North Africa, as well as South Africa, Turkey and the Indian sub-continent.

The exchange launched in September 2005 and currently has 18 Members - ABN AMRO, Arbuthnot Securities, Barclays Capital, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, EFG-Hermes, Hichens, Harrison & Co, HSBC, ING Bank NV, Jefferies International, KAS BANK, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Mashreq Capital (DIFC), NBD Investment Bank, SHUAA Capital and UBS.

Issuers on the DIFX: Equities - Albaraka Banking Group (ordinary shares), Boulder Steel (ordinary shares), Citigold Corporation (ordinary shares), Fortune Management (ordinary shares), Gold Fields (American depositary shares), Hikma Pharmaceuticals (global depositary receipts), Kingdom Hotel Investments (ordinary shares), Man Industries (India) (global depositary receipts), Monarch Gold Mining Company (ordinary shares), Rana Sugars (global depositary receipts); Bonds - DP World (Medium Term Notes), Dubai Holding Commercial Operations Group (Medium Term Notes), Kuwait Financial Centre S.A.K (Closed) (Notes), MashreqBank (Medium Term Notes), National Bank of Dubai (Medium Term Notes); Islamic products - Aabar Sukuk (Sukuk), Cherating Capital (Sukuk), DAAR International Sukuk (Sukuk), DIB Sukuk (Sukuk), DIFC Investments (Sukuk), Dubai World Sukuk (Sukuk), IIG Funding Ltd (Sukuk), Nakheel Development (Sukuk), Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (Sukuk), TID Global Sukuk (Sukuk); Structured Products - Deutsche Bank (certificates over indices).

The regulator of the DIFX is the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). The DIFX is located in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and its owner is DIFC Investments.