AGBI reports Revolut has picked up an in-principle approval from Dubai's VARA for a Virtual Asset Service Provider licence. The full licence — and a UAE-facing crypto trading platform — could land before the end of August 2026, with the caveat the process may take longer.
BIS reclassifies the UAE to Country Group A:5 — approved end-users can now import advanced AI chips and servers without individual US export licenses.
On 14 July 2026, Emirates NBD executed the region's first real-time, blockchain-based cross-border USD payment on the Partior network, with J.P. Morgan acting as both settlement and beneficiary bank. The launch takes a partnership announced in October 2024 into live production, giving corporate and institutional clients in the UAE a minutes-fast USD corridor to J.P. Morgan accounts. It also signals what regional treasurers can expect as more currencies and banks join Partior's rails.
The US Bureau of Industry and Security has moved the UAE into Country Group A:5 under the Export Administration Regulations, making it the first Arab nation in the top-trust tier. The change activates License Exception STA and clears a licence-free path for Nvidia and AMD AI accelerators, commercial satellites, and dual-use kit for oil and gas, desalination and civil nuclear. Data centres, free zones and the UAE’s professional-services stack are the first-order beneficiaries.
CBUAE issued Taptap Send three separate authorisations (SVF, Retail Payment Cat II, Exchange Cat IV). The company can now move beyond remittances into onshore UAE: dirham local payments, digital wallets and payment cards for diaspora communities. Announced 8 July 2026.
