Do You Need a CFO? 7 Signs Before You Hire One
Most growing UAE businesses need CFO-level thinking well before they can justify a full-time CFO salary. An outsourced or fractional CFO brings that strategic layer – cash flow forecasting, board-ready reporting, capital-raising support – without the cost of a full-time senior hire. Here is how to tell which stage your business is actually at. What […]
FATCA, CRS & CbCR: Is Your UAE Entity Reporting Correctly?
UAE Reporting Financial Institutions must complete their CRS and FATCA submissions – including nil returns and the mandatory Risk-Based Assessment – by 30 June 2026 for the 2025 reporting year. Separately, multinational groups above AED 3.15 billion in consolidated revenue carry Country-by-Country Reporting duties with the Ministry of Finance. These are three distinct regimes, easy […]
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 […]
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 […]
DFSA Publishes Its 9th Audit Monitoring Report for the DIFC
The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) is the independent regulator overseeing financial services conducted in or from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). On 9 July 2026, the DFSA published its ninth Audit Monitoring Report. The report provides a clear picture of how audit quality, market activity, and fee levels have evolved across the Centre. Titled “Setting […]
ADGM Commercial Legislation Amendments 2026: What Changed
On 1 May 2026, the Registration Authority (RA) of Abu Dhabi Global Market published a fresh package of amendments to its commercial legislation. The changes touch foundations, trusts, beneficial ownership rules, and the licensing conditions that govern every company registered in the jurisdiction. Taken together, they reinforce stronger governance, sharpen transparency requirements, and tighten regulatory […]
UAE Payroll Regulations 2026: New WPS Rules, Employer Obligations & Salary Deadlines
The UAE Payroll Regulations 2026 introduced important updates to the Wage Protection System (WPS), strengthening employer payroll compliance and monitoring of salary payments. Effective from 1 June 2026, private-sector employers are generally expected to pay salaries through approved WPS channels by the first day of the following Gregorian month, maintain accurate payroll records, submit Salary […]
Branded Residences in the UAE: What Developers, Investors and Hospitality Groups Should Consider
The UAE real estate market has entered a new phase. Growth is no longer driven only by location, construction quality or price. Increasingly, value is being created through lifestyle, hospitality, design, services and global brand association. This is where branded residences have become one of the most important trends in the UAE property market. […]