UAE launches Retail Sukuk to open government bonds to individual investors

Dubai: The UAE Ministry of Finance has launched the Retail Sukuk Initiative, a new programme allowing citizens and residents to invest directly in government-backed Islamic Treasury Sukuk (T-Sukuk). The move marks a major step toward broadening public participation in the country’s financial markets and promoting a stronger culture of saving and investment.

The initiative, which will be activated in cooperation with national banks, enables individuals to begin investing with a minimum amount of Dh4,000. The Ministry said details on the first participating bank will be announced on November 3, 2025.

Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, took to X to announce the launch. He said, The launch of Retail Sukuk “ranslates our leadership’s vision of empowering individuals, promoting a culture of saving, and developing government investment instruments that enhance individual participation in economic growth and provide a direct opportunity to contribute to the UAE’s national development journey.”

Sheikh Maktoum said the Retail Sukuk would “contribute to expanding the investor base for government financial instruments and empower individuals to invest with ease and confidence.”

By opening government-backed instruments to retail investors, the initiative also supports financial inclusion goals, aligning with broader efforts to deepen local capital markets and diversify sources of funding.

He added, “Our economy continues to create opportunities, inspire confidence, and reaffirm the UAE’s position as a global model for human empowerment and sustainable economic leadership.”

The Retail Sukuk programme complements the UAE’s growing focus on developing its domestic debt market, which includes recent T-Sukuk issuances aimed at building a transparent yield curve for dirham-denominated securities. It also gives individuals a direct stake in the nation’s fiscal growth and long-term financial stability.