The UAE’s ETF market continues to build momentum with the upcoming introduction of two highly differentiated products on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX): the KraneShares Wahed Alternative Income ETF (KWIN) and the KraneShares Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AGIX).
A press release by ADX confirms that, following regulatory approval from the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), KWIN is expected to begin its Initial Offering Period (IOP) from April 15th to April 21st, with trading on ADX commencing shortly after. AGIX, meanwhile, is scheduled to list directly on ADX on April 16th, marking one of the fastest follow-on launches since the initial wave of ETF cross-listings in late 2025.
Both ETFs are cross-listings from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), reinforcing the growing link between global ETF markets and regional exchanges. Their launch follows the successful introduction of the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (KWEB) and the KraneShares Global Carbon Strategy ETF (KRBN) on ADX in December 2025 (see launch announcement), which highlights an important milestone that helped establish the framework for international ETF access within the UAE.
Webinars will be co-hosted by Nukoud and ADX in the upcoming two weeks, with the KWIN webinar taking place first on April 15th at 3:30 PM. Register for the webinar using this link.
KWIN: Rethinking Income Through a Shariah Lens
KWIN introduces a differentiated approach to income generation in public markets. Unlike traditional Shariah-compliant strategies that rely on Sukuk or dividend-paying equities, KWIN is designed to generate income through an options-based overlay on a portfolio of Shariah-screened U.S. equities. This structure effectively brings a structured income strategy into an ETF wrapper, offering investors exposure to yield generation techniques that have historically been limited to private portfolios or bespoke mandates.
AGIX: Accessing the Public and Private AI Ecosystem
AGIX takes a different but equally compelling approach, targeting one of the most transformative investment themes globally: artificial intelligence. The ETF is actively managed and designed to provide exposure across the entire AI value chain, including both public and private companies. This includes allocations to high-profile private firms such as SpaceX and Anthropic, alongside global technology leaders like NVIDIA, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta.
By incorporating private market exposure within a listed ETF structure, AGIX offers something rarely accessible to public market investors: early-stage innovation exposure without the traditional barriers of private investing.
Building the GCC ETF ecosystem through local and global partnerships
The listings reflect a coordinated effort across key industry participants. The ETFs are offered by KraneShares in partnership with Wahed Invest, combining global expertise with regional relevance. Oceane Global serves as market maker, while Waystone acts as legal advisor.
Together, this structure highlights the growing institutionalization of the UAE ETF ecosystem and reinforces ADX’s position as a platform for innovative, globally aligned investment products accessible to regional investors.
A Broader Signal for the Region
The rollout of these funds sends a strong signal to global asset managers that the UAE and ADX, in particular, are evolving into a credible platform for launching sophisticated investment strategies.
As more issuers explore cross-listings and regional distribution, the expectation is for a deeper pipeline of products spanning themes, asset classes, and investment styles. For investors, the opportunity set available locally is expanding not just in quantity, but in quality and innovation.
