UAE banks are phasing out SMS OTPs for online card payments starting January 6, 2026, due to security risks like SIM-swapping and phishing. This shift mandates in-app authentication via push …
CRDB set for official Dubai office launch
By establishing a footprint in Dubai, CRDB aims to support regional efforts to attract FDI and integrate East African economies more deeply into global value chains …
New UAE decree laws give sweeping powers to Capital Market Authority
The laws will modernise the regulatory framework governing the financial sector, enhance its stability and competitiveness, and protect investors …
Dubai Residential REIT IPO is oversubscribed over 26 times
Dubai: The Dubai Residential IPO has been set at Dh1.1 a unit, which means that Dubai’s first stock market float of 2025 will have an initial market cap of Dh14.3 billion. And a gross dividend yield …
UAE now among the world’s wealthiest state investors with $2.93 trillion
The UAE is officially one of the world’s top money players. State-owned investors in the country now manage Dh10.75 trillion ($2.93 trillion), placing the UAE 4th globally, according to the 2026 …
Dubai bitcoin scammer Sahni gets jail sentence after losing appeal
A high-profile legal battle concluded on January 1, 2026, as Balvinder Singh Sahni — the Dubai-based businessman convicted over a massive Dh150 million ($40.8 million) Bitcoin money-laundering scheme …
Pay10 and First Abu Dhabi Bank announce Open Finance go live under the UAE’s open finance initiative Al Tareq
Dubai, UAE: Pay10 and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the UAE’s global bank and one of the world’s largest and safest financial institutions, announce it has gone live on Open Finance for its retail …
UAE to introduce ‘sugar tax’ on sweetened drinks from January 2026
UAE will apply a new tiered Excise Tax on sweetened drinks from January 2026, linking tax per litre to sugar and sweetener content …
Pay10, FAB go live with UAE Open Finance plan
Pay10 and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the UAE’s global bank and one of the world’s largest and safest financial institutions, announce it has gone live on Open Finance for its retail customers in the …
Bank of Palestine receives IPA for ADGM banking licence in UAE
Bank of Palestine (BOP) has secured an in-principle approval (IPA) for a full banking licence from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) at ADGM, the international financial centre in Abu …
Pay10 and First Abu Dhabi Bank announce open finance go live under Al Tareq scheme
Pay10 and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) have gone live on Open Finance for its retail customers in the UAE, marking a key milestone in the UAE’s Open Finance journey under the Central Bank of the UAE’s …
UAE tax authority introduces new pricing agreement fees from January 2026, scraps paper certificates
UAE FTA announces Advance Pricing Agreement fees effective January 2026 and cancels paper tax certificates in favour of free digital versions …
There’s new updates on the UAE sugar tax to be introduced in 2026
The UAE has given some updates on the sugar tax set to be introduced on the first day of 2026. As part of a GCC-wide effort to cut down on the consumption of sugary drinks, the UAE’s Ministry of …
Dubai rents set to rise up to 6% in 2026, where to search for affordable homes
As Dubai’s rents rise by 6% in 2026, find out where to search for affordable homes in emerging districts and understand the factors driving this trend.
Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2025 attracts $62tn in assets and 35,000 global leaders
Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2025 attracted $62tn in assets, 35,000 attendees and landmark deals, reinforcing UAE’s finance leadership …
Bank of Palestine expands globally after receiving an in-principle approval for a full banking license from ADGM Abu Dhabi, UAE
Bank of Palestine to conduct the following regulated activities in or from ADGM: Accepting Deposits and Arranging Deals in Investments, targeting the Global Palestinian community at large …
UAE consolidates its role as a regional debt issuance hub
The UAE has emerged as the Gulf’s most dynamic and resilient fixed income hub, steadily consolidating its position through another year of strong issuance activity in 2025, a report showed. According …