Rules, licensing and policy changes shaping technology, finance and trusted digital markets in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Saudi ArabiaSDAIA has opened applications for a Personal Data Protection track where companies can test products that process personal data under regulatory supervision. Successful graduates receive a completion certificate and digital badge, making admission, testing and graduation three different regulatory states.
UAEThe DFSA has fined Vault Wealth Limited USD109,200 for providing financial services from DIFC without DFSA authorisation. Vault Wealth is genuinely regulated in ADGM, making the case a useful reminder that a financial licence in one UAE financial free zone does not automatically travel into another.
Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia's Transport General Authority is consulting on amendments that would allow autonomous passenger vehicles to be offered through app-based transport intermediaries. Feedback closes October 1, meaning the proposal should not yet be treated as a final operating rule.
Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia's Insurance Authority has opened draft risk-based capital rules and related regulatory amendments for public feedback until October 10. The consultation can still change the detailed rules, but the broader transition to the new solvency framework is already scheduled for January 1, 2027.
Saudi ArabiaUnited Cooperative Assurance says Saudi Arabia's Insurance Authority has suspended it from issuing or renewing policies across all insurance products. The move is broader than February's motor-only restriction, while a separate liquidation filing remains unresolved in court.
UAEDMCC has formally established a new legal framework for long-term asset holding, succession planning and private wealth structuring. The regulations now exist, but full applicant onboarding is still expected to launch in the coming weeks.
UAEPhonePe has received in-principle approval from the UAE Central Bank for payment licences. The important distinction is that regulatory progress is real, but commercial launch still depends on final authorisation.
