The UAE Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) is preparing four new regulatory initiatives aimed at broadening market participation, raising transparency, and enhancing investor protection, according to its CEO, Waleed Al Awadhi.
Speaking to the Emirates News Agency, Al Awadhi said the projects include a framework for carbon credit trading platforms, rules for retail Sukuk investment, legislative updates to the capital market authority law, and provisions for restructuring public joint stock companies.
The carbon platform regulation will outline licensing and operational conditions for private operators, as part of a broader national strategy to meet carbon neutrality targets.
The draft regulation for retail Sukuk is designed to enable fractional investment in bonds and Sukuk, allowing wider retail participation while embedding investor safeguards. Al Awadhi said this could help improve market liquidity and financial inclusion.
Another initiative involves updating capital markets laws to expand the regulator’s supervisory powers, with an emphasis on adopting risk-based oversight aligned with evolving financial activities.
A separate regulation is being developed to allow the division of public joint stock companies, which the SCA expects will offer greater flexibility in corporate structuring.
The SCA board recently approved a framework for recognising goodwill on company balance sheets, formalising the treatment of brand value and reputation as intangible assets.
Al Awadhi said these reforms are part of a broader effort to make the UAE’s financial markets more efficient and accessible.
The SCA is also advancing its sustainable finance agenda. It issued a regulatory framework for green bonds, green Sukuk, and sustainability-linked instruments aligned with global standards. Companies listing these products are exempt from registration fees.
As of mid-2025, the SCA had approved 11 green bond and Sukuk listings worth AED24.6 billion. The total value of sustainability-linked issuances stood at US$8.7 billion, with US$6.7 billion listed on the UAE and international exchanges.
Al Awadhi said the SCA will continue balancing innovation and investor protection as it positions the UAE as a global financial hub.
