Market Insights

UAE Open Finance is a regulated financial activity. It falls under Article 61 of Federal Decree-Law No. 6 of 2025, the UAE Central Bank Law. The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) runs the framework through three parts: an API Hub, a Trust Framework and Common Infrastructural Services. These let banks, finance companies and licensed…

The UAE is not a member of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone is not enough for official use there. Foreign documents generally need UAE attestation instead: notarisation, home-country authentication, UAE mission attestation, and final UAE MoFA sign-off. This guide covers the process for company formation, banking, property, and powers of attorney.

The Dubai property market is undergoing major changes, driven by property tokenisation, flexible rental payments and new shared housing regulations. In H1 2026, Dubai recorded nearly AED 420 billion across 112,850 real estate transactions, while property sales reached AED 286.4 billion across 86,005 transactions. These developments are creating new opportunities and compliance considerations for investors, landlords and property operators.

DIFC and ADGM are leading UAE jurisdictions for family offices, wealth structuring and succession planning. In 2026, DIFC applies a USD 50 million minimum net asset requirement for its applicable family office framework, while ADGM requires USD 10 million for a Single Family Office. DIFC also introduced its VCC regime in February 2026, expanding investment structuring options for families.

The DIFC Variable Capital Company (VCC) introduces a flexible investment structure for family offices and fund managers in 2026. DIFC now has more than 1,250 family-related entities, while its top 120 families collectively manage over USD 1.2 trillion in global assets. The VCC enables multiple sub-funds within one corporate vehicle, supporting segregated investment strategies and greater structural flexibility.

In September 2026, Aldar and ADCB completed Abu Dhabi’s first off-plan mortgage registration under ADREC’s new framework, letting buyers who have paid 50% of a property’s price secure bank financing before handover. Off-plan sales made up 89% of Abu Dhabi’s AED70.4 billion H1 2026 residential market, while mortgage transactions hit AED26.7 billion, up 33.5% year-on-year.