Scaling up regional retail investing, the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) announced on August 7 the onboarding of Thndr, a trailblazing investment platform founded in Egypt, as its first remote retail trading member. This strategic inclusion allows Thndr’s over four million users to seamlessly trade UAE-listed stocks and ETFs—without the need for physical presence in the Emirates.
Revolutionizing regional investing
Founded in 2020, Thndr is regulated by the Abu Dhabi Global Market’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority (ADGM FSRA). The fintech platform empowers investors across the Middle East to access diversified asset classes including equities, mutual funds, gold, and savings products in the UAE, Egypt, and the United States.
Thndr’s UAE operations are anchored in Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s renowned tech and innovation ecosystem. Designed to attract next-generation startups and investors from across the globe, Hub71 has positioned the UAE capital as a key innovation hub.
In 2024 alone, Thndr executed 12 million trades, amounting to a trading value surpassing USD 13 billion—a testament to the platform’s rapid rise and retail investor appeal.
1st Exchange in GCC
With a market capitalization of AED 3.1 trillion (USD 844 billion), ADX stands as the second-largest exchange in the MENA region and ranks among the top 20 stock markets globally. Over the past decade, it has outperformed the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and several other global benchmarks, solidifying its role as a magnet for institutional and retail investors alike.
Abdulla Salem Alnuaimi, Group CEO of ADX, emphasized that the onboarding of Thndr reflects ADX’s commitment to financial inclusion and digital innovation:“By being the first exchange in the GCC to admit Thndr, we are championing retail investor access, cross-border connectivity, and the evolution of Abu Dhabi as a global investment hub.”
Cross-Border Investment Gateway
Thndr’s partnership with ADX is also integrated with Tabadul, the exchange’s innovative cross-market platform. Tabadul is part of ADX’s broader mission to foster knowledge sharing, fintech collaboration, and interoperability across MENA’s financial landscape.
Ahmad Hammouda, Co-founder and CEO of Thndr, expressed the personal significance of the milestone: “Retail investors deserve access to a grade-A investment service. This partnership gives our users the chance to invest in one of the region’s strongest-performing markets over the past 5, 10, and 15 years. ”
Digital-first Innovation
The Thndr-ADX collaboration signals a broader regional trend toward democratizing access to high-performing markets through digital-first platforms—offering new opportunities for women investors, entrepreneurs, and wealth-builders in the Middle East. With mobile-first, intuitive tools and low entry thresholds, platforms like Thndr are dismantling barriers and enabling women to actively participate in regional economic growth.
