On 14 October 2026 the ADGM Registration Authority (RA) opened a public consultation on a regulatory framework for business centre operators: business centre services are proposed to become a controlled activity. The document is published as Consultation Paper No. 7 of 2026, and comments are open until 23:59 UAE time on 6 November 2026.
For the market this is one of the most visible regulatory moves by ADGM in 2026 after the RA refreshed its priorities for 2026–2027. It targets the infrastructure layer through which a large share of entrepreneurs operate inside ADGM — business centres and flexi-desk providers, which companies use to establish office presence and confirm a legal address in the jurisdiction.
What happened
According to the ADGM public consultations portal (raconsultations.adgm.com), the Registration Authority opened the consultation period on 14 October 2026 at 09:00 UAE time. The paper is structured as Q1 to Q8 on specific proposals and Q9 for general comments.
Target audience: current and prospective business centre operators, companies and entrepreneurs that use such services, company service providers, and other interested parties — including those based outside ADGM where the changes may affect their practice.
What changes for operators and clients
The headline proposal is to classify business centre services as a controlled activity. This brings the activity into the regulator direct perimeter: operators must meet specific requirements and bear regulatory responsibility, rather than only general corporate rules.
For clients — entrepreneurs who set up a company in the UAE and get office presence through such centres — the changes mainly mean more transparent terms and protection from unfair contracts: mandatory price and package disclosure, limits on client agreement terms within the centre right to occupy the premises, and a ban on cash receipts and payments above a set threshold.
Key proposed requirements
From the consultation text (quantitative parameters are set out in the appendices), the proposed rules provide for:
- mandatory public liability insurance and revised professional indemnity requirements for operators;
- minimum regulatory capital — specific amounts are set out in the appendices to the paper;
- disclosure of prices and packages to prospective clients;
- a cap on client agreements beyond the duration of the centre right to occupy the premises;
- duty to notify the RA of events that materially affect, or may affect, the centre ability to continue operating;
- a formal wind-down and contingency plan;
- a ban on receiving or paying cash above a set threshold.
Quantitative parameters — the minimum capital amount, insurance thresholds and the cash limit — are set out in Appendix 1–3 of the paper. Final values will be fixed in the final version of the rules after comments are processed.
Timeline and how to respond
The consultation runs from 14 October to 6 November 2026. Submissions are made via raconsultations.adgm.com using the Make a Submission button after a one-time registration. Comments sent to ra.consultation@adgm.com may not be considered under the ADGM rules — that address is reserved for technical issues with the portal only (registration, account access).
After the consultation closes the Registration Authority will summarise responses and publish a final document with a response to comments and the final rules. The current business centre regime in ADGM remains unchanged until the final version is published.
For companies currently choosing an office presence provider or planning to switch, the near-term context is to continue operating under existing contracts and fix in writing the mechanics the regulator has already flagged as priorities: transparent pricing, client agreement caps aligned with the centre right to occupy, cashless settlements, and client notice on material events at the operator.
