The UAE General Budget Committee held its 15th meeting to discuss the draft federal budget for the 2027–2029 fiscal period. Officials reviewed preliminary expenditure estimates, revenue forecasts, tax legislation alignment, and the government's 2026 financial position. Directives were issued to complete drafting procedures and assess funding requests for new strategic projects.
The UAE Capital Market Authority issued Resolution No. (16/Chairman) of 2026 permitting Central Bank-licensed institutions, excluding insurance firms, to conduct regulated virtual asset operations. Regulated activities include trading, brokerage, custody, and operating alternative trading systems. The measure removes the requirement for banks to establish separate licensed legal entities.
UAE legal consultancy Ape Law has updated its public UAE Virtual Asset Service Provider Licence Tracker using data collected on September 27, 2026. The tool indexes 116 authorisations across 115 distinct entities and 207 permission lines spanning five UAE regulatory regimes. It enables market participants to verify legal entities and permitted activities directly against official regulatory records.
The Central Bank of the UAE has introduced the Insurance Company Licensing Regulation (Circular 4/2026), establishing stricter entry rules for domestic and foreign insurers. Regulators will assess applicants based on their commercial proposition, product demand, and domestic premium retention alongside technical compliance. Insurers based in financial free zones such as DIFC and ADGM will be treated as foreign insurance companies for onshore operations.
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