From Wallet to VAT Return: The UAE’s New Digital Currency Conversion Framework
The UAE’s New Digital Currency VAT Conversion Framework The UAE has standardised how digital currencies are converted into AED for VAT. For businesses, the real change is not the formula-it is the need to produce a defensible rate, timestamp, and audit trail for every relevant transaction. Accepting digital currency may feel like a payment decision. For VAT […]
The UAE’s New Central Bank Law Is Moving From Framework to Enforcement
The UAE’s New Central Bank Law Is Moving From Framework to Enforcement This creates an important compliance reality: Firms may need to operate under three layers simultaneously. The 2025 Central Bank Law New 2026 regulations Older rules that remain effective until replaced This is precisely why a simple “new law checklist” may be insufficient. What institutions need is […]
Dubai Is No Longer Just Attracting Companies. It Is Attracting Ideas
Dubai’s latest FDI ranking tells a bigger story: creativity is no longer sitting at the edge of the economy. It is increasingly becoming an investable, scalable, and international business sector. For the fourth consecutive year, Dubai has ranked first globally for the number of greenfield foreign direct investment projects in cultural and creative industries. In 2025 alone, […]
UAE Insurance Is Growing. The Bigger Question Is What Businesses Should Do About It
The UAE insurance market is entering a materially different phase of development. Gross written premiums reached AED 75.2 billion in 2025, increasing 15.5% year-on-year. Gross paid claims increased 11% to AED46.2 billion, while insurance company assets reached AED166.7 billion. The number of policies written rose to approximately 17.8 million. At first glance, this is a straightforward growth […]
Dubai–India Trade Hits AED222.5 billion: What the Numbers Really Mean for Business
Dubai–India economic ties have reached another milestone. Dubai’s non-oil trade with India climbed to a record AED 222.5 billion (approximately US$60.6 billion) in 2025, up 15% year-on-year and 136.2% compared with 2016. India is now Dubai’s second-largest trading partner. The corporate presence is equally significant. By June 2026, 85,841 Indian companies were active members of the Dubai […]
The VAT Is Personal. The Compliance Chain Is Commercial
The UAE has widened VAT relief for Emiratis building new homes. The refund goes to the homeowner-but the implications reach contractors, consultants, suppliers and the wider residential construction ecosystem. A swimming pool. Landscaping. A smart security system. Staff accommodation—a home gym. Until recently, these may not have been the first items associated with a VAT refund for […]
FTA Audits Rose 46% in 2025, Lifting Tax Revenue by Over USD 1 Billion
The UAE’s Federal Tax Authority (FTA) increased the number of tax audits it conducted by 46% in 2025, according to the Authority’s newly published annual report. This stronger enforcement activity helped generate more than USD 1 billion in additional tax revenue during the year. The figures provide a clear sign that the UAE’s tax system is […]
UAE Sets New Minimum Excise Price for Tobacco and Vape Liquids from September 2026
The UAE Cabinet has fixed a new minimum excise price of AED 1 per millilitre for liquids used in electronic smoking devices, effective 1 September 2026. The change comes under Cabinet Decision No. 137 of 2026, issued 24 July 2026, and it does not raise the underlying 100% excise tax rate – it sets a […]
FTA Decision No. 7 of 2026: How the UAE Tax Authority Now Disposes of Seized and Abandoned Goods
The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) can now sell perishable, leaking, or otherwise at-risk seized and abandoned goods at public auction under a clear, documented procedure. FTA Decision No. 7 of 2026 on Procedures for the Disposal of Seized and Abandoned Goods was issued on 11 June 2026, took effect on 30 July 2026, and its […]