United Arab Emirates: Finance and Banking

The Capital Market Authority of the United Arab Emirates has introduced a comprehensive new licensing regime for Virtual Asset Service Providers, establishing eight distinct regulated activities with risk-based capital requirements and enhanced governance standards. The framework consolidates previous regulations while introducing stricter controls on privacy tokens, algorithmic tokens, and client asset holdings, positioning the UAE as a leading hub for regulated digital asset innovation.

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has solidified its position as the Middle East's leading financial hub, offering a stable, internationally recognised platform for a wide variety of financial activities.

Leading global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) has released its latest edition of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Banking Pulse, analyzing the Q2 performance of the country's ten largest listed banks.

Debt recovery in the UAE is a staged process rather than one court filing. It may begin with a demand and asset-preservation request, continue through a civil claim or direct cheque enforcement, and end with a separate execution case. The strongest strategy considers collectability from the beginning. A creditor needs evidence of the debt, a route to judgment or an executive instrument, and an active plan for locating and enforcing against assets after the legal entitlement is established.

Learn how novation agreements in Dubai transfer rights and obligations, why all parties must consent and how guarantees and mortgages are treated.

Let's get digital – the Middle East has been working toward broader adoption of digital debt securities, driven by government-led transformation agendas, regulatory frameworks, and an appetite for financial innovation.

Learn how novation agreements in Dubai transfer rights and obligations, why all parties must consent and how guarantees and mortgages are treated.

Buying property in Dubai is a major financial and legal decision. This analysis explains the essential legal checks buyers should complete before signing, including mortgage pre-approval...

The Abu Dhabi Court of Cassation has issued a precedent-setting judgment that fundamentally alters the enforcement landscape for state-granted land in the UAE. In a decision that overturned two lower court rulings, the highest court confirmed that vacant land granted by the government to UAE nationals can be subject to forced judicial sale to satisfy creditor claims.

Debt recovery in the UAE is a staged process rather than one court filing. It may begin with a demand and asset-preservation request, continue through a civil claim or direct cheque enforcement, and end with a separate execution case. The strongest strategy considers collectability from the beginning. A creditor needs evidence of the debt, a route to judgment or an executive instrument, and an active plan for locating and enforcing against assets after the legal entitlement is established.

Learn how novation agreements in Dubai transfer rights and obligations, why all parties must consent and how guarantees and mortgages are treated.

The United Arab Emirates has become one of the leading jurisdictions for investment funds structuring across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. Much of this growth has been driven by the development of two internationally recognised financial centres, the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), both of which provide dedicated regulatory frameworks for licensed fund managers, asset managers and investment platforms.