Abu Dhabi Tabadul Hub Adds Botswana As First African Market
Economy Middle East reported that the Botswana Stock Exchange signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange Group to become Tabadul’s 11th market and first African participant. ADX said the hub covers more than $1 trillion in combined market capitalisation, but the report did not give an integration date or list the first tradable Botswana instruments.
The Botswana Stock Exchange is set to become the first African market to join Abu Dhabi’s Tabadul cross-border trading hub, creating a direct investment link between the Middle East and one of Africa’s established and growing securities markets.
Economy Middle East reported that the exchange signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange Group that would make it Tabadul’s 11th member.
Cross-border access through local brokers
Once integration is completed, investors across the Middle East will be able to trade eligible instruments listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange through local brokerages.
Botswana-based investors will similarly gain access to securities available through participating Tabadul markets.
The arrangement is designed to give investors a single gateway to international opportunities while reducing some of the operational complexity involved in accessing overseas exchanges.
The signing ceremony in Abu Dhabi was attended by Botswana Stock Exchange Chairperson Neo Mooki, Chief Executive Officer Aobakwe Aupa Monyatsi and senior executives from both exchanges.
Tabadul currently connects markets representing more than $1 trillion in combined market capitalization.
Its participating exchanges include more than 700 listed companies and over 11 million registered investors.
A growing platform and a rising Botswana market
Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and Bahrain Bourse launched Tabadul in 2022 as a digital bridge between financial markets.
The platform has since expanded across the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Armenia and Jordan, with 10 connected markets before the Botswana agreement.
Trading value through Tabadul reached AED13.5 billion so far in 2026, already exceeding the amount recorded during the full 2025 calendar year.
ADX linked the growth to sustained investor demand, wider participation by trading members, stronger adoption among institutional and retail investors, and improvements in market infrastructure and operational efficiency.
The Botswana Stock Exchange, based in Gaborone, is the country’s only stock exchange.
Founded in 1989, it has 33 companies, 121 bonds and eight exchange-traded funds.
It is described as Africa’s third-largest exchange by market capitalization.
The market surpassed 1 trillion Botswana pula in total market capitalization for the first time on May 11, 2026.
That valuation was equivalent to approximately 2.5 times Botswana’s gross domestic product.
Expansion under local-market rules
ADX Group Chief Executive Officer Abdulla Salem Alnuaimi said the addition would extend Tabadul’s digital bridge into Africa and give investors broader access to high-growth opportunities.
Monyatsi described the agreement as a milestone in the exchange’s internationalization strategy, saying it would expand opportunities for Botswana investors and licensed brokers while increasing the visibility of Botswana-listed companies among regional and international providers of capital.
Tabadul’s expansion has also extended beyond ordinary secondary-market share trading.
The Jordan agreement enabled eligible investors to participate in initial public offerings and other opportunities available through connected exchanges.
Kazakhstan Stock Exchange began operating through the platform in February 2025, allowing Kazakh investors to trade eligible foreign securities while settling transactions through local clearing infrastructure in Kazakhstani tenge.
Access remains limited to investors registered with eligible local brokers and is subject to the requirements imposed by the exchange receiving the orders.
Economy Middle East did not report the final integration date.
