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Regulatory updates

Every UAE regulatory change, as it happens.

New rules, circulars, consultations and notices from UAE regulators, each summarised with who is affected and what to do. Collected by Arakan Lexara from the regulators' own websites.

Arakan Lexara Weekly

The week's changes, what they mean and the deadlines ahead. Every Monday, free.

DIFC Registrar of Companies30 Oct 2025Consultation PaperHigh impact
Proposed Amendments to the DIFC Real Property Law and Regulations
DIFC proposed introducing decennial (10-year) contractor liability for construction defects in new buildings aligned with the UAE Civil Code, granting the Registrar of Real Property discretion to waive provisions producing unfair outcomes, extending lease-registration deadlines from 30 to 45 days and off-plan freehold transfer-fee payment deadlines from 30 to 60 days, and adding penalty fees for unregistered leases.
ADGM Registration Authority28 Oct 2025Regulations AmendmentHigh impact
Administrative Regulations 2025 — Procedural Fairness, Contraventions and Fines Framework
The Registration Authority enacted a new Administrative Regulations 2025 framework introducing a two-tier approach to contraventions, revised fine levels, enhanced RA investigation powers, emergency CEO powers, and a formal settlement-agreement process, consolidating and replacing prior scattered enforcement provisions. Finalises proposals from Consultation Paper No. 7 of 2025.
Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority

Updates are found automatically on regulators' websites and summarised by AI. Check the official source before relying on any item.

Past weekly briefings

27 Oct 2025

Enforcement Notice

Medium impact

VARA Investor and Marketplace Alert - Vesta Prime Portal Co. L.L.C.

VARA issued a public alert warning investors that Vesta Prime Portal Co. L.L.C. is not licensed or registered with VARA and cautioning the public against engaging it for virtual asset services. The exact page URL slug for this specific alert could not be independently confirmed beyond VARA's regulatory notices index, where the title and 27 Oct 2025 date are listed.

Dubai Financial Services Authority21 Oct 2025CircularLow impact

The DFSA publishes summary of Consultation Paper 168 – Enhancements to the Regulation of Crypto Tokens

DFSA published a condensed one-page summary of CP168 and an online survey to gather additional stakeholder feedback ahead of the 31 October 2025 comment deadline, reiterating its aim to modernise crypto token oversight in line with international standards.

Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority15 Oct 2025Press ReleaseMedium impact

Live from GITEX: DFSA and VARA Strengthen Regulatory Cooperation to Support Dubai's Position as a Leading Global Financial Centre

DFSA and VARA announced a strengthened cooperation framework (MOU) at GITEX Global to coordinate licensing, supervision and AML/CFT oversight between Dubai's onshore virtual-asset regulator and the DIFC's financial regulator, easing coordination for firms operating across both jurisdictions. Note: this announcement was not found republished on VARA's own news index at the time of research, so it is sourced here from the DFSA's official site rather than vara.ae directly.

Central Bank of the UAE14 Oct 2025New Regulation/StandardHigh impact

Federal Decree by Law No. (10) of 2025 Regarding Anti-Money Laundering, and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation Financing

This federal law overhauls the UAE's AML/CFT/CPF legal framework, strengthening criminalisation provisions, beneficial-ownership and reporting obligations, and supervisory powers, and forms the legal basis for the AML/CFT circulars and guidance CBUAE issued through the rest of the review period. Licensed financial institutions must update AML/CFT policies and risk assessments to reflect the new legal definitions and obligations.

Dubai Financial Services Authority14 Oct 2025Rule AmendmentHigh impact

Notice of Amendments to Legislation: October 2025 (PIB – Operational Risk Capital, CP164)

Following CP164, DFSA finalised amendments to the PIB Module implementing the revised Basel III standardised approach for operational risk capital requirements, effective 1 July 2026 (later referenced as effective 1 Jan 2026 in some secondary sources; DFSA's own notice states 1 July 2026).

Dubai Financial Services Authority14 Oct 2025Regulatory NoticeMedium impact

Dear SEO Letter: CP165 – Changes to the DFSA's Approach to Licensed Functions and Authorised Individuals

Follow-up Dear SEO letter on CP165 advising firms to continue meeting current Licensed Function/Authorised Individual requirements pending formal rulebook changes (subsequently enacted for 1 July 2026), covering anticipated changes to appointment, fitness and propriety processes.

Federal Tax Authority10 Oct 2025Ministerial DecisionHigh impact

Ministerial Decision No. 229 of 2025 on Qualifying Activities and Excluded Activities (Free Zone Corporate Tax)

Updates the list of Qualifying Activities and Excluded Activities used to determine whether a Free Zone Person's income qualifies for the 0% Corporate Tax rate. Free Zone businesses must re-check activity classification against the revised list. Note: the FTA's Official Gazette listing shows this decision published 10 October 2025 though issued earlier (28 August 2025); the underlying rule content should be treated as applicable from issuance — flagged for date uncertainty.

Central Bank of the UAE10 Oct 2025New Regulation/StandardMedium impact

Insurance Group Supervision Regulation

This regulation introduces group-wide supervision for UAE insurance groups, requiring designated parent/holding companies (those controlling 15%+ of the insurance market or deriving over 50% of revenue from insurance) to ensure group-wide compliance, report intragroup transactions and risk concentrations, and provide consolidated audited financials. Note: secondary sources place the circular as dated 1 May 2025 but reported CBUAE as having issued it on 10 October 2025, while the CBUAE Rulebook shows the module taking effect 14 November 2025 (one month after Official Gazette publication) — publication date used here is the best-sourced issuance date.

Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority10 Oct 2025Consultation PaperHigh impact

Public Consultation on the UAE's Implementation of the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF)

VARA circulated the UAE Ministry of Finance's public consultation on adopting the OECD Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework, under which VASPs would need to collect and report client tax-residency and transaction data; the consultation window closed 8 Nov 2025 per the Ministry of Finance's parallel notice, so this item is now a closed/superseded consultation pending final rules.

Federal Tax Authority10 Oct 2025Ministerial DecisionMedium impact

Ministerial Decision No. 84 of 2025 on Audited Financial Statements Requirements

Prescribes which categories of Taxable Persons must prepare audited (rather than merely reviewed) financial statements for Corporate Tax purposes, underpinning subsequent guidance such as Public Clarification CTP007 on Tax Group audited statements. Issued 25 March 2025, published on FTA's Official Gazette listing 10 October 2025 — flagged for date uncertainty.

Federal Tax Authority10 Oct 2025Ministerial DecisionMedium impact

Ministerial Decision No. 96 of 2025 on Conditions to Exempt Certain Real Estate Investment Trusts

Sets the conditions REITs must satisfy to qualify for Corporate Tax exemption as Qualifying Investment Funds, feeding into the later FTA Decision No. 8 of 2025 on investor-level compliance timelines. Issued 14 April 2025, published on FTA's Official Gazette listing 10 October 2025 — flagged for date uncertainty.

Federal Tax Authority10 Oct 2025Ministerial DecisionLow impact

Ministerial Decision No. 230 of 2025 on Specification of Recognised Price Reporting Agencies

Designates the price-reporting agencies whose published commodity/benchmark prices Taxable Persons may rely on for transfer pricing purposes, e.g. for commodity transactions priced by reference to independent indices. Issued 29 August 2025, published on FTA's Official Gazette listing 10 October 2025 — flagged for date uncertainty.

ADGM Registration Authority9 Oct 2025Consultation PaperMedium impact

Proposal to Issue New Commercial Permits (Temporary, Sales and Promotions, Temporary Activity Permits)

The Registration Authority proposed amendments to the Commercial Permits Regulations 2024 introducing three new permit categories — temporary commercial permits, sales and promotions permits, and temporary activity permits — to regulate short-term and promotional commercial activity in ADGM. This was later finalised in July 2026 (see ADGM-2026-003).

DIFC Registrar of Companies9 Oct 2025Practice DirectionMedium impact

DIFC Courts Practice Direction No. 1 of 2025: Access to Justice in Employment Disputes

New DIFC Courts practice direction lets the Registrar waive or reduce court fees and allow installment payments in employment claims based on financial hardship, moves to a default 'each party bears its own costs' rule instead of costs typically shifting to the losing employee, and makes CFI employment hearings private by default with anonymized judgments. Exact issuance date vs. effective date (both reported as 9 October 2025) not separately confirmed.

Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority7 Oct 2025Enforcement NoticeHigh impact

VARA Steps Up Enforcement to Safeguard Dubai's Virtual Asset Market - 19 Unlicensed Firms Penalised and Public Warning Issued

VARA penalised 19 firms found offering unlicensed virtual asset services to or from Dubai and issued a public warning naming them; VASPs and the public should verify counterparties against VARA's public register before dealing with them.

Federal Tax Authority1 Oct 2025Ministerial DecisionLow impact

Ministerial Decision No. 249 of 2025 Exempting Smoking Cessation Products from the Definition of Tobacco Products

Excludes designated smoking-cessation/nicotine-replacement products from the Excise Tax definition of tobacco products, removing the 100% excise tax on qualifying products in support of public-health smoking-cessation policy. Issued 22 September 2025; published/effective 1 October 2025.

Ministry of Economy — AML/CFT & Commercial Supervision1 Oct 2025Regulation AmendmentHigh impact

Federal Decree-Law No. (20) of 2025 Amending Federal Decree-Law No. (32) of 2021 Concerning Commercial Companies

A major overhaul of the UAE Commercial Companies Law introducing multiple share classes, in-kind capital contributions, drag-along/tag-along shareholder rights, cross-emirate/free-zone re-domiciliation preserving legal identity, a reduced one-year (from two-year) lock-up for private JSC shares, and a new not-for-profit company structure. Implementation is phased over an estimated 12-24 months via follow-on ministerial/cabinet decisions (see MOE-2026-004 and MOE-2026-008 below). Issuance date sourced from secondary legal commentary as MOET's own laws page does not show a specific day.

Dubai Financial Services Authority1 Oct 2025Consultation PaperHigh impact

Consultation Paper No 168 – Enhancements to the Regulation of Crypto Tokens

CP168 proposed shifting from a DFSA-maintained list of Recognised Crypto Tokens to a firm-led suitability assessment model, requiring firms to independently and continuously assess whether each crypto token is suitable for its intended use. This became the basis for rule amendments finalised in December 2025.

Financial Services Regulatory Authority — ADGM30 Sept 2025Consultation PaperHigh impact

Proposed Framework for the Staking of Virtual Assets

The FSRA consulted on a proposed regulatory framework governing staking of virtual assets by Authorised Persons, addressing client asset protection, disclosure and risk management for staking services. Virtual asset service providers offering or planning to offer staking in ADGM should assess the proposed obligations.

Ministry of Economy — AML/CFT & Commercial Supervision30 Sept 2025Regulation AmendmentHigh impact

Federal Decree-Law No. (10) of 2025 on Anti-Money Laundering, Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Financing of Proliferation

The UAE replaced its 2018 AML law with a new federal decree-law that formally criminalises proliferation financing, lowers the evidentiary threshold for money laundering from 'actual knowledge' to 'sufficient/circumstantial evidence', doubles maximum corporate fines to AED 100 million, and introduces mandatory licensing/registration (Article 20) for DNFBPs and VASPs. This is primary federal legislation rather than a MOET decision, but it directly reshapes the AML/CFT obligations MOET supervises for DNFBPs.

Federal Tax Authority29 Sept 2025Ministerial DecisionHigh impact

Ministerial Decision No. 244 of 2025 on the Implementation of the Electronic Invoicing System (Phased Timeline)

Sets the phased rollout schedule for mandatory e-invoicing: voluntary pilot from 1 July 2026; large taxpayers (revenue AED 50 million or more) must appoint an Accredited Service Provider by 31 July 2026 and comply from 1 January 2027; smaller taxpayers and government entities follow through 2027. This is the master compliance calendar for UAE e-invoicing (later amended — see FTA-2026-008).

Federal Tax Authority29 Sept 2025Ministerial DecisionHigh impact

Ministerial Decision No. 243 of 2025 on the Electronic Invoicing System

Establishes the legal framework for the UAE's mandatory e-invoicing (e-Billing) system: scope (B2B/B2G), exclusions (B2C, sovereign government activities, certain airline/goods-transport and VAT-exempt financial services), and the role of Accredited Service Providers (ASPs). Foundational legislation for the e-invoicing rollout, paired with Ministerial Decision No. 244 of 2025 on timing.

Federal Tax Authority26 Sept 2025Public ClarificationMedium impact

CTP009 – Application of the Valuation Method under the Transitional Rules on Disposal of Qualifying Immovable Property by a Real Estate Developer

Clarifies how real estate developers that are Taxable Persons must apply the market-value valuation method under Ministerial Decision No. 120 of 2023 transitional rules when disposing of Qualifying Immovable Property acquired before the Corporate Tax regime began.

Federal Tax Authority19 Sept 2025Public ClarificationMedium impact

CTP008 – Corporate Tax Treatment of Family Wealth Management Structures

FTA clarifies how family wealth/investment holding structures (family foundations, trusts, holding vehicles) are treated under UAE Corporate Tax Law, including conditions relevant to transparency/exemption elections for family offices and private wealth structures.

Central Bank of the UAE16 Sept 2025New Regulation/StandardHigh impact

Federal Decree-Law No. (6) of 2025 Regarding the Central Bank, Regulation of Financial Institutions and Activities, and Insurance Business

This law repeals and replaces the 2018 Central Bank Law, consolidating banking, finance company, payments and insurance supervision under a single CBUAE regulatory perimeter and materially expanding CBUAE's licensing and enforcement powers (including over emerging/DeFi technologies via Article 62). It is the foundational law underpinning nearly all CBUAE regulations issued afterward, so licensed institutions must reconcile governance and licensing structures by the one-year transition deadline of 16 September 2026.

Dubai Financial Services Authority16 Sept 2025GuidanceMedium impact

High-Growth Firms Thematic Review

Two-phase thematic review (data analysis plus on-site assessment of 16 firms) found gaps in compliance resourcing, governance and MI systems keeping pace with rapid growth. Firms are expected to update regulatory business plans and notify DFSA of material strategy changes. Date sourced from secondary reporting.

Ministry of Economy — AML/CFT & Commercial Supervision15 Sept 2025GuidanceHigh impact

Countering Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing and Proliferation Financing: Guidelines for Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (Revised Guidelines V2)

MOET (the Ministry's current official name is 'Ministry of Economy and Tourism', confirmed via moet.gov.ae) issued a revised (V2) edition of its core AML/CFT/CPF guidelines for the four DNFBP sectors it supervises (real estate agents/brokers, dealers in precious metals & stones, independent accountants/auditors, and trust & corporate service providers), incorporating findings from the UAE's 2024 National Risk Assessment. Regulated DNFBPs should update compliance manuals, risk assessments and CDD procedures. The document is dated only 'September 2025'; the exact day of publication could not be confirmed and is estimated here.

Dubai Financial Services Authority10 Sept 2025Press ReleaseLow impact

DFSA and Hong Kong SFC sign Memorandum of Understanding on cross-border fund manager cooperation

DFSA signed an MoU with the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission enhancing regulatory cooperation for collective investment scheme managers operating cross-border between DIFC and Hong Kong. Informational for firms with cross-border fund operations; exact date sourced from secondary reporting.