Regulatory changes we're tracking and practical guides from the team that prepares the applications.
Investment licensing
CMA Category 1 (full brokerage, AED 10M) vs CMA Category 5 (introduction, 3–6 months) vs DFSA Category 3A (USD 500K, 12–14 months) vs DFSA Category 4 (USD 30,000, 4–6 months). The four UAE licence pathways for CFD and FX firms explained.
Investment licensingUpdated
A Category 5 licence from the UAE's CMA lets you market only to professional investors, and the thresholds are specific: AED 35 million for trustees, AED 25 million for joint ventures, AED 15 million for family offices. Marketing outside those limits is where enforcement lands.
Company formationUpdated
DMCC has been named Global Free Zone of the Year nine consecutive times and hosts 25,000+ companies. The 2025 FZCO suffix rule, tightened UBO obligations, and VARA's NOC pathway for crypto prop desks — everything you need to know about setting up a proprietary trading firm in Dubai in 2026.
Company formationUpdated
GCC-ASEAN trade corridor, UAE-Malaysia CEPA, Islamic finance infrastructure and the RAMZ programme — the case for a Labuan structure for Middle East operators.
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