The new Dubai Hong Kong working group is bringing two major financial centers closer together. This group was formed to strengthen ties between Dubai and Hong Kong in banking, investment and finance.
Four important organizations came together to build this partnership. These include the Dubai Financial Services Authority, Nasdaq Dubai, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.
What Is This New Working Group
The Dubai Hong Kong working group was announced on Thursday. Its goal is to build a clear system for teamwork between financial leaders in both places.
This group will focus on five important areas. These include sustainable finance, Islamic finance, financial innovation, capital markets, and better connections between markets.
It is important to know one thing clearly. This announcement does not create instant trading links. It also does not create a new stock listing system right away. Instead, it builds a stronger foundation for future teamwork.
Why This Partnership Matters
This new group was announced during a special climate finance event in Hong Kong. More than 350 people joined the event, both in person and online.
This event was very important because it also included the signing of official documents. These documents explain exactly how the four organizations will work together going forward.
Before this group was formed, cooperation between Dubai and Hong Kong happened only sometimes. Now, there will be a regular and organized system. This means leaders can talk more often, share updates, and plan future projects together.
What Leaders Are Saying
Leaders from both regions shared why this partnership is important. Bonnie Y Chan, who leads Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, explained that Asia and the Middle East are becoming closely connected through money and investment.
She said that Hong Kong and Dubai each have special strengths. Together, they can help move money, ideas and opportunities between their regions more easily.
Eddie Yue, who leads the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, added that this new system will help both regions plan smarter and work more closely together.
Leaders from Dubai also shared their support. Mark Steward, from the Dubai Financial Services Authority, said this shows how strong the relationship between the two cities has become. Hamed Ali, from Nasdaq Dubai, explained that Dubai already plays an important role in Islamic finance and could help connect investors from both regions.
How Nasdaq Dubai Is Growing
Nasdaq Dubai has grown quickly in recent years. This exchange focuses on international bonds and Islamic finance products called sukuk.
In fact, Nasdaq Dubai recently listed $713 million worth of green bonds. Because of this, its total listed debt has now passed $143.9 billion.
Out of this total, $98.4 billion comes from sukuk. Another $45.4 billion comes from regular bonds. Around $27.5 billion is linked to environmentally friendly projects.
These numbers show why Islamic finance and sustainable finance are such an important part of the Dubai Hong Kong working group.
A Partnership With a Long History
This new group did not appear overnight. Dubai and Hong Kong have been building financial teamwork for many years.
Back in 2017, regulators from both regions signed an early agreement focused on financial technology. Later, in 2023, this partnership grew stronger. Leaders agreed to work together on climate finance across Asia and the Middle East.
This growing relationship helped set the stage for the bigger four-party group announced this year.
Climate Finance Also Growing
Climate finance has become an important shared goal for both regions. The very first joint climate finance conference took place in 2024. It brought together more than 240 people from banks, companies and organizations.
During that event, leaders signed an agreement to work more closely on sustainable finance topics.
A second conference happened in Dubai in 2025, with almost 250 participants. This event helped build even stronger connections between exchanges and regulators.
Research from this partnership showed something interesting. Sustainable debt in the Middle East and parts of Asia grew more than three times between 2020 and 2024. It reached a total of $94 billion.
Stronger Exchange Connections
Hong Kong has also worked to make it easier for Gulf companies to join its stock market. In 2024, Hong Kong officially recognized the Dubai Financial Market and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.
This recognition allows certain companies from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to apply for a second listing in Hong Kong.
In 2025, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited also signed an agreement with the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. This agreement focused on shared projects like exchange-traded funds and possible future listings.
Hong Kong has even opened offices directly in the region. This includes a company based in Dubai focused on commodity pricing, along with an office in Riyadh.
If you’d like to learn more about global finance partnerships, check out our Gulf finance news section and our Asia-Middle East trade updates for more helpful stories.
You can also read more from Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited to learn about their global partnerships and market activities.
Trade Between Dubai and Hong Kong
Trade between the two regions has also grown a lot. In 2024, trade between Hong Kong and the UAE reached more than $16 billion. This made the UAE Hong Kong’s biggest trading partner in the Middle East.
Trade across the wider Gulf region reached even higher numbers in 2025. This strong trade relationship gives extra support to the new financial partnership.
Strong Markets on Both Sides
Both Hong Kong and Dubai have shown strong market growth this year. In Hong Kong, daily stock market trading grew by nearly 18 percent compared to last year. The number of new companies joining the stock market also grew quickly.
Dubai’s market has grown too. Trading activity on the Dubai Financial Market rose by more than 40 percent this year. The number of companies and financial firms operating in Dubai also increased steadily.
This strong growth on both sides gives the Dubai Hong Kong working group a solid foundation to build upon.
Why Islamic Finance Matters Here
Islamic finance is expected to be one of the biggest areas of cooperation. Dubai already has one of the largest sukuk listing platforms in the world.
Hong Kong has also been working to build stronger ties with Islamic finance markets. This includes ongoing talks with financial leaders across the Gulf region.
Because both regions bring different strengths, Islamic finance could become one of the most successful parts of this new partnership.
Final Words on This New Chapter
The Dubai Hong Kong working group marks an exciting new step for global finance. It brings together two strong financial centers with a shared goal of growth and cooperation.
With years of teamwork already in place, and strong market growth on both sides, this partnership could help shape stronger financial connections between Asia and the Middle East for years to come.
As more details unfold, this partnership may open new doors for investors, businesses and financial markets across both regions.
Read More : Uae Weekly Mag
Reference By : Economy Middleeast