Generous with their gains
An analysis of aggregate dividends of listed companies during the period from 2010 to 2019 gives us insights about the sectoral and individual dividend champions of UAE. In 2019, total dividends paid by listed companies rose to Dh39.94 billion from Dh11.90 billion in 2010, an increase of 235 per cent and which is remarkable.
In 2019, the largest dividend-paying sector was banking, which paid Dh18.19 billion, followed by telecom with Dh10.11 billion. Real estate companies parted with Dh6.67 billion, while oil and gas gave Dh2.03 billion to shareholders.
Property shines
From 2010 to 2019, the sector that showed the fastest dividend growth was in real estate. From Dh228 million, it grew to Dh6.67 billion in 2019, which is almost 29 times the 2010 level.