UAE’s VARA Issues 14 New Crypto Licences as Dubai Cements Role as Global Virtual Asset Hub
The UAE's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) has issued 14 new virtual asset service provider (VASP) licences in Q1 2026, bringing the total number...
Bitcoin and Ethereum in the UAE: Where to Buy, Sell and Store Crypto in 2025
The UAE has become one of the most accessible jurisdictions in the world for legally purchasing and holding cryptocurrency. With VARA-licensed exchanges operating in...
GCC Commodities Markets: Beyond Oil, Gold, Petrochemicals, and Agricultural Trade
The Gulf Cooperation Council countries collectively control some of the world's most strategically important commodity markets. While oil and natural gas remain the dominant...
Expert View: The Evolving Role of GCC Sovereign Wealth Funds in Global Markets
Expert Analysis, Gulf Times NowThe Gulf Cooperation Council is home to some of the world's largest and most sophisticated sovereign wealth funds, collectively managing...
How the UAE Became a Global Leader in Cryptocurrency Regulation
When the UAE established the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) in March 2022, it became the world's first jurisdiction to create a dedicated regulator...
Gold Investment in 2025: Why GCC Investors Remain the World’s Most Committed Buyers
Gold has sat at the centre of Gulf culture, commerce and investment for millennia, and 2025 gave no sign of that loosening. What is...
Dubai’s Gold Market: How DMCC Makes the UAE a Global Commodities Trading Hub
Dubai handles more physical gold than almost anywhere else on the planet. The city's position at the intersection of African, Asian, and European trade...
Tadawul: Inside Saudi Arabia’s Stock Exchange and What It Means for Investors
The Saudi Exchange, known as Tadawul, is the largest stock exchange in the Middle East and one of the top 15 exchanges in the...
DeFi and Web3 in the GCC: How Decentralised Finance is Taking Root in the Gulf
While most discussions of cryptocurrency in the GCC focus on centralised exchanges and Bitcoin investment, a quieter but potentially more consequential development is underway:...
DFM and ADX: A Practical Guide to Investing in UAE Stock Markets
The United Arab Emirates operates two primary stock exchanges, the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), alongside the internationally...
UAE Exchange Houses Guide: Al Ansari, UAE Exchange and Money Transfer in the Emirates
The UAE operates one of the world's most competitive and accessible foreign exchange and money transfer markets, with hundreds of licensed exchange houses serving...
UAE Dirham Peg: How Currency Stability Powers the Emirates as an Investment Hub
The United Arab Emirates dirham has been pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of 3.6725 AED per USD since November 1997,...
