Loading...

Regulatory updates

Central Bank of the UAE: latest updates.

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.

2 Sept 2026Enforcement NoticeMedium impact
CBUAE Revokes the Licence of 'Omda Exchange' and Imposes a Financial Sanction of AED 10 Million
CBUAE revoked the exchange-house licence of Omda Exchange and imposed a AED 10 million financial sanction, continuing a pattern of significant AML/CFT enforcement action against exchange houses in the review period. This is a directly CBUAE-sourced press release and one of the most recent regulatory actions in the review window.
14 Aug 2026New Regulation/StandardMedium impact
Regulation Regarding Takaful Insurance
A refreshed regulation governing Takaful (Shari'ah-compliant) insurance operations in the UAE, issued under Federal Decree-Law No. 6/2025, alongside related draft Shari'ah standards on Takaful's operational model, Wakala agency arrangements, and Takaful fund controls. Per the regulation's own Article 31, it takes effect one month after Official Gazette publication, which CBUAE's Rulebook shows as 14 September 2026 — publication date given here (14 August 2026) is a best-sourced estimate derived from that one-month rule and was not independently confirmed via a dated announcement.
24 Jun 2026Enforcement NoticeMedium impact

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

Past weekly briefings

CBUAE fines a foreign bank branch AED 20 million and its head of compliance AED 300,000 for AML/CFT failures

CBUAE imposed a AED 20 million financial sanction on an unnamed foreign bank branch operating in the UAE for 'significant, repeated failures' in its AML/CFT framework, and separately fined the branch's head of compliance AED 300,000 for failing to fulfil his AML oversight responsibilities. This signals CBUAE's continued individual-accountability enforcement approach for MLRO/compliance officers, not just institutions.

16 Apr 2026GuidanceMedium impact

CBUAE Updates AML/CFT/CPF Guidance for Licensed Financial Institutions (Proliferation Finance, TBML, Correspondent Banking and CDD/KYC guidance, plus two best-practice manuals)

CBUAE released an updated package of four AML/CFT/CPF guidance documents (proliferation financing, trade-based money laundering/transshipment, correspondent banking, and customer due diligence/KYC) together with two best-practice manuals on risk-based-approach methodology and role-based staff training, described by the Governor as aligning UAE supervision with FATF and international standards. Licensed institutions should refresh AML/CFT policies, CDD procedures and training programs to reflect the updated guidance.

14 Apr 2026GuidanceMedium impact

CBUAE FAQs/Guidance on Article 62 — Carrying on Licensed Financial Activities through Emerging Technologies

CBUAE published FAQ-format guidance clarifying that Article 62 of Federal Decree-Law No. 6/2025 does not create new categories of regulated financial activity but ensures technology-neutral supervision across delivery channels, including Web3/decentralized systems, while confirming pure technology/infrastructure service providers are not directly regulated unless they perform licensed financial activities themselves. Entities have until 16 September 2026 (the law's one-year transition deadline) to adjust their activities/status.

13 Mar 2026New Regulation/StandardHigh impact

Remuneration Regulation for Banks and Insurance Companies

Aligned with Basel Committee and FSB compensation principles, this regulation requires banks, insurers, reinsurers and UAE branches of foreign institutions to identify Material Risk Takers, defer 3-5 years of variable pay for them, embed malus/clawback provisions in contracts, and have the Board approve remuneration policy annually via a dedicated Remuneration Committee. Institutions face a gap-analysis deadline of 11 October 2026 and full compliance by 14 July 2027.

5 Mar 2026New Regulation/StandardMedium impact

Insurance Company Licensing Regulation

A revised licensing regulation for insurance companies operating in the UAE, reflecting the consolidated supervisory framework of Federal Decree-Law No. 6/2025 and updating licensing categories, capital and fit-and-proper requirements for insurers. Publication date is a best-sourced estimate: the CBUAE Rulebook confirms circular number C 4/2026 and an effective date of 14 August 2026, but the exact issuance date was not independently verified; based on sequential circular numbering relative to C3 (19 Feb 2026) and C5 (13 Mar 2026), publication likely occurred in late February/early March 2026.

19 Feb 2026New Regulation/StandardMedium impact

Telemarketing Regulation

CBUAE's first dedicated telemarketing rulebook for banks, insurers, reinsurers and other licensed financial institutions, requiring board approval before telemarketing, at least 15 hours of telemarketer training, prior express consent capturing customer channel/language/product preferences, Do-Not-Call Registry (DNCR) compliance, call-timing limits (9am-6pm, max once daily/twice weekly per customer), mandatory call-opening disclosures, five-year record retention and annual reporting to CBUAE. Institutions were given a 90-day implementation window from the effective date.

17 Feb 2026New Regulation/StandardHigh impact

Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SME) - Customer Protection Regulation

This regulation replaces the 2021 SME Market Conduct Regulation and introduces a Key Facts Statement requirement, bilingual plain-language disclosure, a 3-business-day account-opening timeline for low-risk SMEs, affordability assessments, enhanced complaint handling with access to the Sanadak ombudsman, and Board-level accountability for SME customer protection. Banks and finance companies have roughly a six-month runway from publication to the 13 September 2026 effective date.

1 Feb 2026New Regulation/StandardHigh impact

Operational Risk Management Regulation

A new regulation issued under Federal Decree-Law No. 6/2025 requiring all licensed financial institutions to establish formal operational risk management frameworks, including risk identification, controls, and reporting to the Board. Publication date is a best-sourced estimate: CBUAE's Rulebook confirms the circular number (C 1/2026) and an effective date of 14 September 2026, but the exact issuance/gazette-publication date was not independently located; based on the sequence of related 2026 circular numbers (C2 published mid-Feb, C3 published 19 Feb, C5 published 13 Mar), C1 was likely issued in late January/early February 2026.

14 Dec 2025New Regulation/StandardHigh impact

Cabinet Resolution No. (134) of 2025 Regarding the Executive Regulations of Federal Decree by Law No. (10) of 2025 Regarding Anti-Money Laundering, and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation Financing

These are the executive regulations implementing the new AML/CFT/CPF law (Federal Decree-Law No. 10/2025), providing detailed operational rules on customer due diligence, reporting, and supervisory procedures that CBUAE-licensed institutions must follow. This is the practical compliance rulebook institutions need alongside the parent law.

7 Nov 2025GuidanceMedium impact

Guidance for Licensed Financial Institutions on Risks Related to Proliferation Finance

CBUAE issued sector guidance directing licensed financial institutions to assess, monitor and mitigate proliferation-financing (PF) risk, aligned with FATF standards and the new Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025. Institutions should incorporate PF-specific risk factors into customer risk assessments and transaction monitoring.

7 Nov 2025GuidanceMedium impact

Guidance for Licensed Financial Institutions on Risks Related to Trade-Based Money Laundering (TBML) and Transshipment

Companion guidance to the proliferation-finance guidance issued the same day, this document sets out red flags and control expectations for trade-based money laundering and transshipment risk in trade finance, particularly relevant to banks and finance companies handling letters of credit and trade transactions.

14 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.

10 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.

16 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.