Updated weekly · Last update: 9 November 2026 · Regulatory Gate · Data from each regulator's own website
Short answer. Five regulators license financial and virtual asset firms in the UAE. VARA covers virtual assets in Dubai outside the DIFC. The CMA is the federal securities regulator and now licenses virtual asset activities onshore. The CBUAE licenses banks, payment firms, exchange houses and insurers. The FSRA regulates the ADGM, and the DFSA regulates the DIFC. Each has its own tracker below, with its latest updates, licences and register counts.
The five trackers
| Regulator | What it covers | Register on 9 Nov 2026 | Latest update | Tracker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VARA | Virtual assets in Dubai, outside the DIFC | 60 licensed firms, 23 IPA holders | 28 Oct 2026: circular on public disclosures | VARA tracker |
| CMA | Securities, commodities and onshore virtual assets | 339 licensed companies | 3 Nov 2026: public warning | CMA tracker |
| CBUAE | Banks, finance, payments, payment tokens, insurance | 266 register entries, plus 439 on the insurance list | 4 Nov 2026: 2027 supervisory priorities | CBUAE tracker |
| FSRA (ADGM) | Financial services in Abu Dhabi Global Market | 424 active FSP holders | 5 Nov 2026: public warning | FSRA tracker |
| DFSA (DIFC) | Financial services in the Dubai International Financial Centre | 999 authorised firms | 28 Oct 2026: fine on Moody's Investors Service Middle East | DFSA tracker |
Key updates since 1 August 2026
- VARA, 28 October. A circular sets out good practice for VASPs' public disclosures.
- VARA, 6 October. A circular sets the minimum scope of the independent Reserve Assets audit.
- CMA, 1 September. Fee Resolution No. (18/Chairman) of 2026 took effect.
- CBUAE, 30 October. AED 200 million penalty on a branch of a foreign bank for AML and sanctions failures.
- CBUAE, 14 September. The Operational Risk Management Regulation took effect for all licensed financial institutions.
- FSRA, 28 October. A notice sets Travel Rule expectations for virtual assets and fiat-referenced tokens.
- FSRA, 16 September. Final rules for the funds framework, with a transition to 31 March 2027.
- DFSA, 1 October. Rule amendments. Prudential changes took effect on 2 October 2026. Conduct changes take effect on 1 January 2027.
- DFSA, 28 October. USD 585,825 fine on Moody's Investors Service Middle East Limited for data confidentiality failures.
Coming up
| Date | Regulator | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Nov 2026 | FSRA | Comments close on the DeFi Risk Management Guidance (CP 5 of 2026) |
| 1 Dec 2026 | CMA | Consultation opens on private placement by private joint stock companies |
| 31 Dec 2026 | CMA | The survey on the CMA's new regulations closes |
| 1 Jan 2027 | CMA | One-year period to regularise status under Federal Decree by Law No. (33) of 2025 ends |
| 1 Jan 2027 | DFSA | Conduct, Islamic finance and glossary amendments take effect |
| 30 Jan 2027 | CMA | Consultation closes on private offerings by free zone companies |
| 31 Mar 2027 | FSRA | Transition ends for Venture Capital and Foreign Fund Managers |
| 14 Jul 2027 | CBUAE | Bank and insurer pay frameworks must fully meet the Remuneration Regulation |
| 15 Jul 2027 | CBUAE | Three Takaful standards take effect |
New licences in 2026
| Regulator | New in 2026, to 9 November | How we count |
|---|---|---|
| VARA | 20 licences, 19 IPAs | Licence and IPA dates on the register |
| CMA | 85 companies | Year shown on the register |
| CBUAE | 21 entries for 16 institutions | Year inside the register ID number |
| FSRA | 87 FSPs | FSP date on the register |
| DFSA | 133 authorised firms | Date of licence on the register |
Each regulator records licences differently, so compare these figures with care. The tracker for each regulator explains its method.
How we count
- Source. We read each regulator's own register, news, notices, rulebook and enforcement pages. We use no third-party sources.
- Names. We name firms. We do not name individuals.
- Use. You may reuse these figures with credit to Regulatory Gate and a link to this page.
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