Understand the policies, laws and regulations shaping business across China and the UAE.
Business registration · Investment · Taxation · Customs · Trade · Financial regulation · Employment · Visas · Free-zone policies. Every update identifies the issuing authority, jurisdiction, publication date, effective date and official source.
The UAE Federal Tax Authority has instructed businesses whose financial year ended on December 31, 2025, to submit their corporate tax returns and settle tax payments by September 30, 2026. Filings and payments must be completed through the EmaraTax digital platform or via accredited tax agents to avoid administrative penalties. The authority also stressed the obligation to maintain all supporting accounting records to substantiate declarations and relief claims.
The United Arab Emirates and Turkey have barred Iran's two largest private lenders from operating and grounded Iranian airlines amid an intensifying US economic pressure campaign. The UAE also moved to halt commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Tehran following maritime security tensions. The measures target a critical trade partner that supplied 31% of Iran's imports in 2024.
The 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice opened on Saturday at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, running through 1 October. During the opening session, participants adopted the Abu Dhabi Declaration, establishing a five-year framework across four pillars including justice, rule of law, and emerging criminal threats. The agenda addresses critical compliance areas such as cybercrime, online fraud, money laundering, virtual assets, and artificial intelligence.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that global enforcement efforts have prompted regional measures against Iranian banking and aviation sectors. The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority suspended all Iranian carrier flights, while the Central Bank of the UAE implemented regulatory actions against local branches of Bank Melli. Authorities in Turkey and Oman also enacted flight and banking restrictions amid US warnings of secondary sanctions.
Central Bank of the UAE
United Arab Emirates
Final rule
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