News
UAE’s Non-Oil Economy Drives Over 75% of GDP in 2024: Legal and Regulatory Implications for Businesses
The UAE’s 2024 economic data marks a pivotal shift in its development trajectory, with non-oil sectors contributing over 75.5% of real GDP — a clear indicator of the country’s accelerated diversification agenda under the “We the UAE 2031” vision. The figures, published by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC), reveal that the UAE’s total…
ADGM’s Commercial Licensing Regulations (Exemptions) Order, April 2025
On 10 April 2025 the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Board published the Commercial Licensing Regulations (Exemptions) Order 2025 (“2025 Order”), issued under section 8(1) of the Commercial Licensing Regulations 2015. The new instrument revokes and replaces the 2024 order, tightening the criteria for who may operate in ADGM without holding a commercial licence (en.adgm.thomsonreuters.com). …
ADGM’s Digital-Asset Rulebook Overhaul — Key Legal Changes Effective 10 June 2025
Abu Dhabi Global Market’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) has completed the most far-reaching rewrite of its crypto rules since 2018. A notice published on 10 June 2025 confirms that the Board has enacted a new suite of rules and companion amendments that now sit inside the core ADGM rulebooks.(en.adgm.thomsonreuters.com) The changes are already in…
ADGM’s Mid-2025 Rule Updates: Digital Assets, Family Offices, Licensing Exemptions
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) has enacted a cluster of rule changes this spring that reshape how digital-asset businesses, family offices and exempt vehicles operate on Al Maryah Island. Below is a practitioner-focused tour of the four key instruments now in force. Digital-Asset Framework Overhaul – 10 June 2025 A fresh FSRA announcement details…
UAE Central Bank’s 2025 AML Blitz Tops AED 339 Million — What Every UAE Business Needs to Know
The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) is sending an unmistakable message in 2025: robust anti-money-laundering (AML) controls are no longer optional. Since March the regulator has issued a string of record-breaking penalties on exchange houses, bank branches and insurers, pushing the cumulative tally past AED 339 million and ushering in the toughest enforcement climate…
Landmark Media Regulation Law in the UAE: A Comprehensive Legal Overhaul After Four Decades
The UAE has introduced a new Federal Media Regulation Law, representing the first significant legislative reform in the country’s media landscape in over 40 years. This reform is a watershed moment for legal professionals, media practitioners, and digital content stakeholders, reflecting the UAE’s commitment to modernizing its regulatory environment in line with technological advancements and…
CBUAE Issues Sanctions Against Five Insurance Brokers
On 12th May 2025, the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) issued administrative and financial sanctions against five insurance brokers operating in the UAE. The action was taken under Article 14 of Federal Decree Law No. (20) of 2018 on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Illegal Organizations. Two of the…
UAE Ministry of Finance and Federal Tax Authority Announce Corporate Tax Penalty Waiver for Late Registration
The UAE Ministry of Finance (MoF), in consultation with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA), has issued a significant compliance relief measure in the form of an administrative penalty waiver for businesses and entities that failed to register for Corporate Tax by the required deadline. However, this waiver is conditional—it is only available to registrants who…
UAE’s New WPS Mandate for Domestic Workers: A Big Step Forward in Labour Reform
In a progressive move to strengthen labour protections, the UAE has now mandated that domestic workers must be paid through the Wage Protection System (WPS). This change aligns with ongoing efforts to improve transparency and uphold fair treatment across all employment sectors. What is the Wage Protection System (WPS)? The Wage Protection System is an…
Free Zone Businesses Can Now Expand Operations with Greater Ease
In a significant move to enhance regulatory oversight and streamline business operations in Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, on 17 March 2025 issued a new Executive Council Resolution No. (11) of 2025, regulating the operations of free zone establishments…