"Abu Dhabi Securities" Hosts the region’s first IPO of an ETF from America
ABU DHABI, April 30, 2017 (WAM) – The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange Group has strengthened its position as the most liquid exchange-traded fund center in the region, by organizing the first initial offering period in the region for a US-based ETF.
The group explained in a statement today that the offering period was followed by the listing of one CraneShares alternative income fund, “Queen,” noting that this achievement reflects the market’s continued commitment to innovation in expanding access to global investment products and enhancing investors’ ease of access to markets.
The fund’s initial offering period, which extended from April 15 to 21, witnessed interest from investors belonging to more than 46 nationalities through the electronic investor portal on the market’s website, which reflects strong and diverse international demand.
This listing represents a milestone as it is the first Sharia-compliant ETF to be dual-listed from the United States, and the fourth from the New York Stock Exchange to join the Abu Dhabi Securities Market, bringing the total market value of ETFs in the market to about 27 billion dirhams.
The fund relies on an options-based strategy to generate income, and tracks the Wahed Shariah Alternative Income Index.
As of March 2026, the number of components of the index reached 306, including companies such as Amazon and Lululemon, which specializes in sportswear.
The fund was developed by Crane Shares and One Investment, and with the inclusion of “Coin”, the number of ETFs listed on the market increases to 23 funds, which enhances confidence in the market’s infrastructure and the robustness of its performance.
This is the second listing of its kind in the market since the start of the recent regional geopolitical developments, after the listing of the CraneShares Artificial Intelligence Fund (AGEX), which reflects the market’s ability to maintain its momentum and investor confidence.
The ETF sector in the market continues to achieve rapid growth, and the total trading value reached 155 million dirhams during the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 228% on an annual basis. This is in line with the overall performance of the market, in which the total trading value approached 90 billion dirhams, an increase of 7.5%.
The contribution of institutional investors increased to 78% of the total trading value, while foreign investors constituted 47.5%, with the value of their trades exceeding 85 billion dirhams, an annual increase of 22%, which reflects the strength of international presence and investment in the market.
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