Frequently Asked Questions

No, personal presence is not required to obtain an Investor number. Investors may apply on the DFM App.

Transferring shares between accounts of two different investors are permitted only if there is a 2nd degree kinship between the transferor and transferee.

Special Deals off the market are also permitted provided the value of shares of the deal is AED10,000,000 and above.

Dubai CSD provides a free Daily Trades Notification service by SMS. By end of the day, any investor who traded will receive an SMS, of the total trades executed during that day.

Yes, the iVestor card is also a cash card so you can withdraw from the credit balance on your iVestor card from any VISA or PLUS marked ATMs* worldwide.

*Subject to bank charges.

Opening an Investor Number (NIN) is executed through Dubai CSD.

Investor Numbers (NIN) can be issued immediately once the request is submitted.

Yes. The Dubai Central Securities Depository (Dubai CSD) CSD is open to investors of any nationality based in any country. Any individual or institution can apply for an Investor Number (NIN) with the Dubai CSD in order to trade both DFM and Nasdaq Dubai listed securities.

Trading requires opening an account with a brokerage firm licensed on the DFM. After obtaining an Investor Number, you should approach one of the brokerage firms to open a trading account. 

You can apply by providing a duly authenticated Power of Attorney.

Shares cannot be transferred if they are frozen. Frozen shares need to be un-frozen first; this process requires submission of an original certificate or copy of Allotment Notice to the DFM. 

The requirements of securities withdrawal from the Dubai Central Securities Depository (Dubai CSD) are as follows:

An official letter or a depositing and withdrawing form should be sent by the investor completed with the following details:

  • Investor Name.
  • Investor Number.
  • Company Name.
  • Quantity of securities to be transferred.
  • Identify the transfer is to be made from Dubai Central Securities Depository (Dubai CSD) (tick the appropriate box on the form).
  • Broker account number in the other market.
  • Custodian’s stamp and authorized signature.
  • Submission of fees by custodian.

Al Salam Bank – Sudan have different procedures for withdrawing shares from the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) to the Khartoum Stock Exchange, the investor should follow the below mentioned procedures:

  • Complete the Securities Deposit & Withdrawal Request Form. (tick the withdrawal box)
  • Attach a passport copy or ID copy of the individuals.
  • Attach a visa copy (for non-UAE nationals).
  • Attach the Articles of Association and Commercial Registration, which should illustrate the company’s nationality.
  • Submission of fees.

Note: In some cases there are requests to withdraw Gulf Financial House shares from the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) to the Al Bahrain Stock Market to re-transfer shares to the Al Kuwait Stock Market, and the reason for this is there is no sub-listed agreement signed between the DFM, Gulf Financial House and the Kuwaiti Company for Clearance. And in this case, usually the investor's letter for withdrawal of the shares does not mention the investor 's number or investor 's account details with the member. The Dubai CSD will accept the letter under the condition that the letter must specify that the reason to transfer securities to Bahrain is in order to re-transfer the securities to the Al Kuwait Stock Market.

The following are the requirements to become a custodian member at Dubai CSD:

  1. Provide a copy of valid custody license issued by the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA).
  2. Sign the custody agreement with the Dubai CSD.
  3. Provide Dubai CSD with an authorized signatories list.
  4. Provide Dubai CSD with a formal letter that identifies their member code in Dubai CSD’s system.
  5. Send an official letter to identify the preferred payment method in the case of dividend distribution and sign the related admission and undertaking letter provided by Dubai CSD.
  6. Send an official request for an annual subscription to the electronic connection to the CSD Equator system AS400 (optional).
  7. A formal letter specifying the list of email addresses which the daily electronic reports will be sent to as well as another list for other issues related to Dubai CSD announcements and notification purposes.
  8. A formal letter that includes the settlement account numbers (AED and USD) with one of Dubai CSD settlement banks.

Yes absolutely, custodians need to ensure that a copy of the renewed custody license once obtained from the SCA, is submitted to the DFM in order to ensure the continuity of services.

Yes you can. You need to submit an official request for an annual subscription for the electronic connection to the CSD Equator system AS400. The letter should specify the following:

  • No. of usernames required.
    Each username’s authority level (view, entry, post, approve)
  • Attach related fees of annual and installation fees (please refer to the Services Catalogue & Fees.

Note: the custodian member may request to change the authority level of a certain username in writing (not subject to fees), or re-set the password, or replace a lost token in writing (both subject to fees).

To assure the continuity of services, custodian members should ensure timely payment of the annual fees for each user and show proof of payment to Dubai CSD to avoid any disconnection.

Note: In the case of any technical error faced during the subscription, custodians are required to report this via e-service with a full description of the error type as well as provide Dubai CSD with related print screens if possible.

Please note that custodians will be unable to generate reports from the system; the required reports will only be provided by the Dubai CSD upon request.

Before the custodian members send the request of opening an DFM Investor Number (NIN), they need to ensure that their potential client does not hold an existing DFM investor number with the DFM, and in case the client does already hold an DFM investor number with inventory positions, the custodian member should send a transfer request along with the account opening request. The requirements for migrating an existing client to custody are as follows:

  1. Complete Custodians Transfers form by the custodian
  2. Custodians should also provide a copy of the client’s written instruction of the same (signed). The signature will be verified against the signature on the “Entry of Investors Data” Form initially submitted (this only applies when the client is moving securities to a custody account)
  3. Global custodian letter / SWIFT instruction of the same (if applicable)
  4. Transfer fees (refer to the Services Catalogue)

In case the existing client wishes to move out of custody and holds inventory positions, the custodians should send a transfer request through e service portal and attach the account opening request which should be prepared by the client or their trading member. The requirements of the transfer request are as follows:

Complete Custodian Members Transfers form by the custodian member.   
Global custodian member letter / swift instruction of the same (if any).  
Transfer fees (refer to Services Catalogue & Fees).

Notifications are sent via email to all  members of Corporate Actions once released. The custodian member should arrange to provide an official letter with a list of email addresses to be included for such notifications.

  • The sharebook is linked with the trading and Dubai CSD systems, so whenever a trade is executed or a movement is approved, the balance is updated automatically. 
  • This is the same when investors' data is updated by the Dubai CSD, such as contact details, this is immediately reflected on the sharebook.