Banking, fintech, funds, capital markets and cross-border investment
Standard Chartered, Mashreq, and LuLu Financial Holdings have launched Hal, a new digital B2B marketplace for small and medium-sized enterprises in the UAE. Unveiled at Investopia Bridge 2026, the platform connects SMEs with buyers, suppliers, and essential financial, tech, and logistics partners. Ecosystem partners including Beehive, Microsoft, Visa, and Aramex have signed initial cooperation agreements.
An investigation by Iran International based on leaked documents reveals that US-sanctioned Bank Parsian used its foreign-exchange arm, Parsian Exchange, to move funds abroad via intermediaries between November 2022 and May 2023. Leaked instruction letters directed roughly $36 million in UAE dirhams, Chinese yuan, and US dollars to overseas bank accounts designated by Iranian importers. The transactions utilized Iranian export proceeds held overseas to obscure ties to sanctioned Iranian institutions.
Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Company plans to deploy approximately $39 billion annually across market cycles, with an increasing focus on Asia. Speaking at the Milken Institute Asia Summit in Singapore, Chief Financial Officer Carlos Obeid named China, South Korea, India, and Japan as primary markets for expanded capital allocation. Over the past three years, Asia's share of Mubadala's portfolio has grown from 10 per cent to approximately 13 per cent.
The UAE Federal Tax Authority has issued an updated compliance guide for its Qualified Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax regime under the OECD/G20 Pillar Two framework. Large multinational enterprise groups are required to maintain an effective tax rate of at least 15 percent. Groups with financial years ending before April 30, 2026, must register via the EmaraTax portal by November 30, 2026.
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