National Supervisory Authority & Licensing Qualification Dossier • Asia-Pacific
Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE)
Global JurisdictionSource / Native Reference: 阿联酋中央银行
- Supervisory tier
- Tier-2
- License classes
- 2
- Licensed records
- 17
- Active / regulated
- 17
Statutory Supervisory Mandate & Scope
Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) (Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE)) exercises statutory authority over commercial banks, deposit-taking institutions, foreign exchange dealers, and payment service providers in Global Jurisdiction.
Prudential Tier Assessment
Tier-2Tier-2 sovereign central bank and macroprudential banking supervisor for Global Jurisdiction, enforcing Basel III capital adequacy and national payment system integrity.
National licensing qualifications & statutory authorisation classes (Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE))
Authorisation categories, permitted institutional and retail activities, minimum initial capital adequacy, and ongoing prudential solvency rules enforced by Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) in Global Jurisdiction.
| License class / code | Official designation | Permitted institutional & retail activities | Minimum initial / base capital | Ongoing prudential & solvency rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class A / Commercial Banking Charter | Full Commercial & Institutional Banking Licence | Deposit-taking, commercial lending, interbank FX market-making, trade finance, and institutional custody. | USD $5,000,000 – $15,000,000 equivalent statutory paid-up banking capital | Minimum Basel III Total Capital Ratio ≥ 10.5%–12.5%, CET1 ≥ 7.0%, LCR ≥ 100%, and NSFR ≥ 100%. |
| EMI / Payment & FX Institution Licence | Authorised Payment Institution / Electronic Money & FX Remittance Licence | Cross-border remittance, electronic money issuance, merchant payment acquiring, and deliverable spot FX conversion. | USD $150,000 – $500,000 equivalent paid-up capital plus statutory central bank security deposit. | 100% daily safeguarding of customer float in segregated commercial bank trust accounts. |
Investor compensation, client money segregation & digital-asset regime
Statutory counterparty protections, custody reconciliation mandates, and virtual-asset licensing status under Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE).
Statutory Deposit Insurance & Bank Resolution Scheme (Global Jurisdiction)
- Maximum coverage per client
- Protected up to statutory national deposit insurance ceiling per banking depositor
- Eligible counterparties & scope
- Retail depositors and eligible corporate deposit accounts held at licensed credit institutions.
Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) Prudential Safeguarding & Custody Directives
- Reconciliation & audit cadence
- Daily reserve and Nostro/Vostro liquidity reconciliation; 100% ring-fencing of payment institution safeguarding accounts.
- Approved custodian requirements
- Central bank reserve accounts or ring-fenced statutory trust accounts at Tier-1 correspondent banks.
Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) Prudential Cryptoasset Exposure (BCBS SCO60) & CBDC / Stablecoin Oversight
- Travel Rule, custody & stablecoin rules
- Full FATF Recommendation 16 Wire Transfer & Virtual Asset Travel Rule compliance across supervised banking rails.
Primary Governing Statutes & Rulebooks
- Central Bank & Banking Supervision Act of Global Jurisdiction
- Basel III Capital Adequacy (CET1 / Tier 1 / Total Capital) & Liquidity (LCR / NSFR) Prudential Standards
- National Payment Systems & Foreign Exchange Control Regulations (Global Jurisdiction)
- FATF-Aligned Anti-Money Laundering & Counter-Terrorist Financing (AML/CFT) Banking Directives
Regulatory Reporting & Audit Obligations
Monthly/Quarterly Basel III COREP/FINREP prudential capital and liquidity returns to Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE)Annual IFRS statutory financial audit by an approved central-bank-panel external audit firmReal-time large-exposure, foreign exchange position, and suspicious transaction reporting (STR)
Cross-Border Equivalence & Passporting
Requires Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) home-host supervisory college approval or local branch/representative office licensing for cross-border banking operations.
Supervised institutions & Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) licence records in our database
17 licence records referencing Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) (17 regulated/registered).
| Institution | Licence number | Status | Licensed legal entity | Effective date | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Checkout(Global network record) | 08.01.02.008.2023.02 | Regulated | Checkout | — | |
| Emirates Investment Bank(Global network record) | 01.01.05.033.1976.02 | Regulated | Emirates Investment Bank (PJSC) | 1976 | |
| Habib Bank AG Zurich(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Habib Bank A.G Zurich | — | |
| Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank | — | |
| Ajman Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Ajman Bank | — | |
| Al Hilal Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Al Hilal Bank | — | |
| Commercial Bank of Dubai(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Commercial Bank of Dubai | — | |
| Dubai First(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | First Abu Dhabi Bank | — | |
| Dubai Islamic Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Dubai Islamic Bank | — | |
| Emirates NBD(Global network record) | 01.01.01.003.1963.02 | Regulated | Emirates NBD Bank P.J.S.C | — | |
| First Abu Dhabi Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | First Abu Dhabi Bank | — | |
| Lebanon and Gulf Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Bank of Sharjah | — | |
| Mashreq (bank)(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Mashreq bank | — | |
| Noor Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Dubai Islamic Bank | — | |
| Rakbank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | National Bank of R.A.K P.J.S.C | — | |
| Sharjah Islamic Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Sharjah Islamic Bank | — | |
| United Arab Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | United Arab Bank | — |
Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) (Global Jurisdiction): institutional licensing & due diligence FAQ
Key statutory capital, compensation, custody segregation, and verification answers for compliance teams.
What are the primary licensing classes and minimum capital requirements under Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) (Global Jurisdiction)?
Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) (Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE)) supervises financial institutions in Global Jurisdiction under Central Bank & Banking Supervision Act of Global Jurisdiction and Basel III Capital Adequacy (CET1 / Tier 1 / Total Capital) & Liquidity (LCR / NSFR) Prudential Standards. Key statutory authorisation classes include: Class A / Commercial Banking Charter (Full Commercial & Institutional Banking Licence — min. capital: USD $5,000,000 – $15,000,000 equivalent statutory paid-up banking capital); EMI / Payment & FX Institution Licence (Authorised Payment Institution / Electronic Money & FX Remittance Licence — min. capital: USD $150,000 – $500,000 equivalent paid-up capital plus statutory central bank security deposit.). Ongoing prudential supervision requires strict adherence to capital adequacy and liquidity buffers.
Does Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) provide statutory investor compensation and mandatory client asset segregation?
Under Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE)'s framework, investor protection is governed by Statutory Deposit Insurance & Bank Resolution Scheme (Global Jurisdiction) with maximum coverage of Protected up to statutory national deposit insurance ceiling per banking depositor (Retail depositors and eligible corporate deposit accounts held at licensed credit institutions.). For client money and custody assets, supervised firms must comply with Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) Prudential Safeguarding & Custody Directives, performing daily reserve and nostro/vostro liquidity reconciliation; 100% ring-fencing of payment institution safeguarding accounts. with central bank reserve accounts or ring-fenced statutory trust accounts at tier-1 correspondent banks..
How does Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) regulate digital assets, crypto exchanges (VASPs/CASPs), and stablecoins?
Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE)'s digital-asset regime is structured around Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) Prudential Cryptoasset Exposure (BCBS SCO60) & CBDC / Stablecoin Oversight (Regulates bank custody, payment settlement rails, fiat-backed stablecoin reserve backing, and Basel SCO60 capital weights.). Custody and AML/CFT compliance obligations require: Full FATF Recommendation 16 Wire Transfer & Virtual Asset Travel Rule compliance across supervised banking rails.
How can I verify an institution's Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) licence number and check our 17 recorded licence entries?
Our database currently tracks 17 licence records referencing Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) (17 marked regulated or registered). To verify a counterparty at the primary source, open Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE)'s official public register (https://www.centralbank.ae/ar/), search by the exact reference number and legal entity name, and confirm that the firm's domain and permitted activities match its statutory authorisation.
Related regulatory & market structure briefings
Research and compliance analysis from PayClear Ledger relevant to Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) and Global Jurisdiction.
Payment Clearing Rails
Cross-Border MSB & Payment Institution Settlement Rails: Nostro Pre-Funding vs. Stablecoin Atomic Clearing
Benchmarking working-capital velocity, FX spread leakage, and statutory safeguarding rules across licensed money services businesses and payment institutions.
Prudential Safeguarding
Payment Institution & Fiduciary Trust Safeguarding Audits: Segregated Client Accounts vs. Surety Bonds
How statutory safeguarding regimes protect remittance and payment balances in transit across ring-fenced tier-1 credit institutions.
Statutory licensing classes, base capital rules, and investor protection summaries for Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) (Global Jurisdiction) are maintained for institutional benchmarking and do not constitute legal advice. Always verify current rulebooks and active firm authorisations directly on Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE)’s official public register.