Investing in the UAE: Who Regulates Financial Services
Summary
The UAE has several financial authorities with different scopes. This page describes the roles of four of them as stated on their official pages. It does not recommend any product, provider or investment.
The main authorities
- Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE): described on the UAE government portal as the supervisory and regulatory authority of the banking and insurance sector. It issues licences for banks, insurance companies, finance companies, exchange businesses and several payment-related categories such as stored value facilities and retail payment services.
- Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA): its website (now branded Capital Market Authority, CMA) lists services for public joint stock companies, local investment funds and financial services companies licensed by the authority, and a service for submitting complaints about capital market transactions.
- Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA): described by the DIFC as an independent regulator of financial and related services conducted in or from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). It supervises regulated firms and monitors their compliance.
- Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA): described on its ADGM page as supporting and facilitating financial activities in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). In its capacity as the Listing Authority, it is responsible for Offers of Securities and the admission of Securities to the Official List.
Why the location matters
The DFSA and the FSRA cover firms operating in or from their own financial centres (DIFC and ADGM). The CBUAE is described as the authority for the banking and insurance sector, and the SCA’s site covers capital market services.
What it costs
This site’s comparison tool covers company setup, not investment products. Fees and charges are set by providers and authorities, so check them directly.
Common pitfalls
- Treating all regulators as interchangeable when their jurisdictions differ.
- Not checking which authority licenses a firm before dealing with it.
- Relying on a licence in one financial centre as proof of authorisation elsewhere.
Rules for property and investment services are not covered by this site’s comparison, and licensed professionals should be consulted.
Figures and rules change. Check the CBUAE, SCA, DFSA or FSRA for current requirements.
Figures and details in this guide are as stated on the cited official pages as of 6 October 2026.
Sources
- https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/finance-and-investment/banking-in-uae
- https://www.uaecma.gov.ae/en/about-us/about-sca.aspx
- https://www.difc.com/business/laws-and-regulations
- https://www.adgm.com/fsra
This information is general; rules and fees can change. Check current details with the relevant authority.