The effectiveness of Dubai’s economic diversification strategy has been highlighted once more, with net profits for publicly traded companies in the emirate climbing by 16.0 percent year over year to $25.4 billion in FY-2024, compared to $21.9 billion in FY-2023.
A report from Kamco Invest shows a significant contrast with the broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, where overall profits dropped by five percent quarter-on-quarter, amounting to $57.3 billion.
In Dubai, growth in earnings over the year was predominantly seen in the banking, real estate, and utilities sectors. These three sectors accounted for 82.8 percent of total net profits reported on the exchange during FY-2024, down from 88.1 percent in FY-2023. Notably, 10 out of the 13 sectors on the exchange experienced year-on-year profit growth during FY-2024, while the remaining three sectors reported declines.
Quarterly insights reveal that net profits surged by 20.1 percent year over year to $6.7 billion in Q4-2024, compared to $5.6 billion in Q4-2023. The growth was widespread, mainly fueled by banks, real estate, and utilities, which contributed 86.4 percent of the total earnings for that quarter. The banking sector’s net earnings improved by 12.2 percent year on year, reaching $2.9 billion in Q4-2024, while the real estate sector saw its net profits increase by 19.7 percent year on year to $2.4 billion during the same period. The report, authored by Junaid Ansari, head of investment strategy and research at Kamco, along with associates Mohamed Ali Omar and analyst Vineetha K. Yeluri, noted that eight out of 13 sectors within the Dubai Stock Exchange experienced increased profits year on year in Q4-2024.
For the banking sector, total net profits climbed by $1.3 billion to $12.6 billion in FY-2024, up from $11.3 billion in FY-2023.
Examining quarter-on-quarter performance, the banking sector achieved a 1.2 percent growth, with total profits reaching $2.9 billion in Q4-2024 compared to $2.86 billion in Q3-2024. This growth was largely driven by a 6.9 percent year-on-year profit increase in Emirates NBD, which saw profits rise to $6.3 billion in FY-2024 from $5.8 billion in FY-2023. Additionally, Dubai Islamic Bank reported net profits of $2.2 billion, marking a 16.7 percent increase during the year, while Mashreq Bank’s earnings rose by 3.3 percent year on year to $2.4 billion, up from $2.3 billion in FY-2023. The strong performance of Emirates NBD was attributed to strategic investments in digital banking and an expanded branch network, creating significant new revenue streams. Similarly, Mashreq Bank attributed its profits growth to regional gains and improvements in operating income and net interest income.
In the real estate sector, total net profits experienced a year-on-year rise of 12.2 percent, reaching $6.3 billion, up from $5.6 billion in FY-2023. Emaar Properties reported a net profit of $3.7 billion in FY-2024, reflecting a 16.2 percent increase from $3.2 billion in FY-2023, showcasing robust operational performance and growth across its primary business areas. The company recorded property sales of around Dh70 billion, a remarkable 72 percent rise compared to FY-2023. Furthermore, the company declared a full dividend payout totaling Dh8.8 billion ($2.4 billion). Additionally, the Tecom Group reported a 13.9 percent year-on-year increase in net profits for FY-2024, reaching $334.5 million, up from $293.6 million in FY-2023, attributing its success to record revenues and strong performance across various business segments.
Conversely, the utilities sector’s total net profits fell by 8.6 percent year on year in FY-2024 to $2.2 billion, down from $2.4 billion. The two companies operating in this sector saw profit declines, with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority reporting net earnings of $1.9 billion (down from $2.1 billion in FY-2023), and Emirates Central Cooling System Corp (Tabreed) noting a decline of 5.9 percent to $244.2 million, down from $259.5 million in FY-2023.
Meanwhile, FY-2024 net profits for companies listed in Abu Dhabi decreased by 7.1 percent to $36.2 billion, down from $38.9 billion in FY-2023. This decline in overall net profits was chiefly due to a 42.2 percent drop in the food, beverage, and tobacco sector, which saw profits fall to $4.4 billion during FY-2024 from $7.6 billion in FY-2023. The capital goods sector followed suit with a 19.1 percent year-on-year decline in total net profits, amounting to $2.5 billion in FY-2024, down from $3.1 billion in FY-2023. In contrast, net earnings in the banking sector improved by 15.1 percent year on year, reaching $10.2 billion compared to $8.9 billion in FY-2023.