UAE ranks among global leaders in digital-asset regulation

The United Arab Emirates has emerged as one of the world's most advanced digital-asset markets, according to the Global Digital Assets Report 2025 issued by the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN) in collaboration with Arthur D. Little.

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Released during the Singapore FinTech Festival 2025, the study highlights how the UAE's regulatory progress is setting international standards for innovation, investor protection and market integrity.

The findings align with the region's ongoing drive to harmonise digital-asset regulation with global benchmarks. The report links rapid growth in stablecoins and tokenised assets to the introduction of licensing frameworks, sandbox regimes and institutional pilots across Gulf markets, with the UAE at the centre of this transformation.

According to the report, the UAE ranks alongside Singapore and Switzerland in regulatory maturity. Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) and Abu Dhabi Global Market's Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) are recognised for implementing activity-based licensing that connects innovation to investor protection. Saudi Arabia's SAMA and Capital Market Authority (CMA) are developing supervisory regimes for tokenisation pilots and cross-border payment corridors. In Qatar, the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (QFCRA) is progressing frameworks for tokenised-asset applications within existing financial-sector laws.