UAE Among World’s Leaders in Advanced Digital Asset Jurisdictions
A new report from GFTN and Arthur D. Little places the UAE at the centre of global digital finance transformation.
The UAE has emerged as one of the world’s most advanced digital-asset markets. Released during the Singapore FinTech Festival, the report highlights how the UAE’s regulatory evolution is shaping international standards for innovation and market integrity.
Stablecoin transactions have reached $263 trillion globally since 2019, with $40 trillion in the past year alone, while the tokenised real-world-asset market has expanded 380% since 2022. The study links this acceleration to clearer oversight frameworks and institutional pilots, placing the UAE and Qatar among 12 jurisdictions defining best practice for digital-asset regulation.
Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority and Abu Dhabi Global Market’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority are cited for activity-based licensing that ties innovation to investor protection. In parallel, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are developing supervisory regimes for tokenisation and cross-border payments.
“The data shows a region that has moved from aspiration to execution,” said Sopnendu Mohanty, Group CEO of GFTN. “Capital follows clarity.”
Drawing on insights from more than 40 regulators and financial executives, the report positions the Gulf’s coordinated regulatory approach as a foundation for long-term digital finance interoperability and cooperation with global standard-setters.
- Previous Article Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy Backs 582 Startups in Nine Months
- Next Article Yalla Group to Open Riyadh HQ to Expand Saudi Operations
