The United Arab Emirates has ordered the temporary closure of its stock markets on Monday and Tuesday following Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone strikes across the Gulf region, signalling mounting economic disruption amid escalating tensions.
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Iran launched the strikes against Gulf countries hosting US bases and assets after joint attacks on the Islamic republic by Israel and the United States.
In a statement, the UAE Capital Markets Authority confirmed that both the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and the Dubai Financial Market would remain closed on March 2 and March 3. The regulator cited its supervisory and regulatory role over the country’s capital markets in taking the precautionary measure.
The #UAE has announced the closure of its embassy in #Tehran and withdrawn its ambassador and all diplomatic staff on Sunday, denouncing #Iran’s missile strikes on the country as a dangerous escalation that violates regional sovereignty and threatens civilian safety. The Foreign… pic.twitter.com/bqPwHQPqHD
— Doha News (@dohanews) March 1, 2026
“The Authority will continue to monitor developments in the region and assess the situation on an ongoing basis, taking any further measures as necessary,” the statement said.
The UAE’s two exchanges host some of the region’s most valuable listed companies, with billions of dollars in market capitalisation. The closure effectively suspends trading in major assets as investors await clarity on the scale of damage caused by weekend strikes that reportedly targeted airports, ports and residential areas across the UAE and the wider Gulf.
Regional markets that remained open on Sunday experienced sharp losses. Saudi Arabia’s benchmark index fell more than four per cent at the open, Oman’s market dropped three per cent, and Egypt’s main index shed 5.44 per cent. Meanwhile, Kuwait suspended trading entirely amid heightened uncertainty.
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Authorities have advised investors and market participants to follow official channels of the Capital Markets Authority, ADX and DFM for updates regarding the resumption of trading as the situation continues to evolve.