62 listed companies pay AED33.161 billion cash dividends for 2017

ABU DHABI, 19th March, 2018 (WAM) -- The 2017 cash dividends paid out by 62 companies listed on the Abu Dhabi and Dubai bourses amounted to AED33.161 billion, according to the latest official figures disclosed today. The banking sector continued to have the lion's share of cash distributions, after 13 out of 18 listed banks pad out around AED18 billion in cash, accounting for 54.3 percent of the total payout. Eight ADX-listed banks paid to the tune of AED11.9 billion while five DFM-listed banks distributed dividends of around AED6.1 billion to their shareholders. The telecommunications sector came second with a total cash of AED8.54 billion followed by the realty sector whose dividends hit AED2.57 billion. The finance and investment sector paid out AED1.55 billion, AED781 million by the transport and logistics sector, AED577 million by the insurance sector, AED421 million by the building material sector, and AED291 million by the contracts sector, with the rest of the payments claimed by the health, pharmaceuticals, and the consumables and hospitality sectors.