Who it is for
Industries
Sector context, obligation by obligation.
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Banking and payments
The most supervised business in the country.
Banks, finance companies, payment service providers and exchange houses answer to a federal banking rulebook — and to an AML regime that is enforced, not merely published.
Banking and payments -
Capital markets
Three regimes, one instrument.
Issuers, funds, brokers and market operators sit across the onshore regime and two free-zone ones — and the same product can be characterised differently by each.
Capital markets -
Virtual assets
Four regimes, and the gaps between them.
An emirate-level regime, two free-zone ones and a federal regime for payment tokens. Where a business sits decides which of them it answers to.
Virtual assets -
Insurance
Folded into banking supervision since 2020.
Insurers, brokers and third-party administrators moved under the federal banking supervisor, and the conduct and prudential expectations moved with them.
Insurance -
Real estate
Emirate by emirate, not country-wide.
Registration, escrow, brokerage and off-plan sales are governed at emirate level, and Dubai and Abu Dhabi do not do it the same way.
Real estate -
Healthcare
Patient data is the hard part.
Licensing sits with the federal ministry and the emirate health authorities; health data sits under a dedicated federal law that most privacy programmes miss.
Healthcare -
Technology and telecoms
Data, cyber, and whether you are regulated at all.
Federal data protection, the information assurance framework, Dubai's own cyber standards, and a licensing perimeter that catches more software than founders expect.
Technology and telecoms -
Professional services
You are a DNFBP, whether you planned to be or not.
Law firms, auditors, corporate service providers and real-estate agents carry AML obligations, UBO duties and reporting deadlines that are audited.
Professional services
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Najem AI produces analysis and drafts for internal use. It is not legal, tax, audit or investment advice and does not create a professional relationship.