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The Central Bank of the UAE has imposed a financial penalty of AED 200 million on a licensed branch of a foreign bank over AML and compliance failures. Personal fines were also levied on the institution's chief executive officer and compliance head. The regulator ordered an independently validated remediation programme and executive re-assessments.
The Central Bank of the UAE has imposed a Dhs200 million penalty on an unnamed foreign bank branch over repeated failures in anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance. The regulator also levied personal fines against the bank's CEO and compliance head, and ordered a mandatory remediation programme.
The UAE's new Civil Transactions Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025), which took effect on 1 June 2026, renumbered and codified key provisions on force majeure and hardship. Force majeure is now governed by Article 236 and hardship by Article 224, requiring parties to establish actual impossibility rather than mere commercial difficulty. London Business News reports that businesses contracting under UAE onshore law, including in free zones such as Meydan Free Zone, should adjust their contractual terms and notice procedures.
Abu Dhabi's Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) is monitoring cryptocurrency exchange Binance following an unauthorized withdrawal incident involving approximately $6.3 billion in digital assets. The regulator said it is engaging closely with Binance to protect clients and ensure market integrity. Binance confirmed that roughly $3 billion has been frozen and committed to covering all losses.
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