Stepping Up To The Plate

The United Arab Emirates has, over recent years, moved decisively from a fragmented, product-by-product approach to a coherent licensing and supervision framework for payment services.

Bounced Cheque Law in UAE allows direct execution for no or insufficient funds, while defined bad-faith acts can still create criminal exposure.

A travel ban, in common terms, means restricting an individual who is inside the country to exit the country and prohibiting an individual who is outside the country to enter or re-enter the country.

Federal Decree-Law No. (6) of 2025 repeals the 2018 Central Bank Law and the 2023 Insurance Decree-Law, consolidating banking, payments, and insurance regulation under a single statute...

In the UAE, escrow accounts play a crucial role in various financial transactions, ensuring security and trust between parties.

The Payment Facilitator model, commonly referred to as the ‘PayFac' model, has emerged as one of the more commercially significant innovations in the card payment space.

Charging interest on a loan between individuals in a non-commercial relationship is a criminal offence in the UAE.

The 2026 Prescribed Company Regulations introduce key considerations around ownership, licensing, CSP appointments, and regulatory compliance for investors structuring investments through the DIFC. This practical guide examines the updated framework and highlights critical points investors must consider when establishing and maintaining a Prescribed Company.

On 31 March 2026, the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (“VARA”) published Part V of the Exchange Services Rulebook, formally codifying the regulatory framework for Exchange Traded Derivative (“ETD”) Services.

As the United Arab Emirates ("UAE") accelerates toward becoming a leading global hub for digital finance and innovation, its payments ecosystem has evolved into a cornerstone of this transformation.