Dubai has emerged because the world’s single largest licensed Digital Belongings (VA) market, with year-to-date VA transaction volumes throughout regulated entities beneath the Digital Belongings Regulatory Authority (VARA) of Dubai estimated at almost AED2.5 trillion, additional solidifying the emirate’s standing as a number one world monetary hub.
This landmark achievement stems from the forward-thinking imaginative and prescient of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to control the digital belongings market.
Three years in the past, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid issued the legislation regulating digital belongings, a primary of its variety, alongside directives for the institution of the Dubai Digital Belongings Regulatory Authority (VARA) to drive Dubai’s management in future financial and monetary sectors.
These achievements had been highlighted as His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and Chairman of the Larger Committee for the Improvement of the Financial and Monetary Sector within the emirate of Dubai, chaired a gathering of the committee.
Through the assembly, His Highness Sheikh Maktoum accredited the Dubai Monetary Sector Technique, a complete roadmap designed to solidify Dubai’s place as a number one world monetary hub, with key targets to double the monetary sector’s contribution to the emirate’s GDP and develop the scale of belongings beneath administration in Dubai.
The assembly mentioned mechanisms for implementing the technique by way of transformative initiatives, and the event of a strong financial measurement system in Dubai. The assembly additionally reviewed the manager plan for ARENA, the preliminary personal providing platform launched by the Dubai Monetary Market (DFM).
His Highness Sheikh Maktoum reviewed DFM’s efficiency highlights in 2025 and plans by Dubai’s Digital Belongings Regulatory Authority (VARA) to develop the sector.
Important step
Sheikh Maktoum affirmed that the Dubai Monetary Sector Technique displays the forward-looking imaginative and prescient and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The technique goals to solidify Dubai’s place on the forefront of the world’s main monetary hubs, whereas furthering the sector’s contribution to the emirate’s financial progress and diversification.
His Highness stated: “This technique represents a serious step for Dubai’s monetary sector. Plans to launch 15 transformative programmes over the following three years purpose to determine an modern and sustainable monetary ecosystem. This can create promising alternatives for buyers, bolster their confidence in Dubai’s enterprise atmosphere, and advance our ambition to cement the emirate’s standing because the world’s premier vacation spot for monetary providers and one of many high 3 world monetary hubs, in step with the targets of the Dubai Financial Agenda D33.”
His Highness Sheikh Maktoum additionally counseled DFM’s achievements, calling for the continued improvement of the capital markets in accordance with the very best worldwide requirements to create an optimum atmosphere for each native and worldwide buyers. He counseled the pivotal position of Dubai’s VARA in enhancing transparency and solidifying the emirate’s standing as a worldwide hub for digital belongings.
The assembly was attended by His Excellency Mohammad Al Gergawi, Vice Chairman of the Committee; His Excellency Mohamed bin Hadi Al Hussaini, His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, His Excellency Helal Saeed Al Marri, His Excellency Essa Abdulfattah Kazim, His Excellency Faisal Yousef bin Sulaitin, His Excellency Fadel Abdulbaqi Al Ali, His Excellency Saeed AlEter, and Her Excellency Huda Sayed Naim Al Hashimi, Secretary Normal of the Committee.
15 transformative programmes
The Dubai Monetary Sector Technique will roll out 15 transformative programmes over the following three years to drive progress and form the way forward for world finance. The initiatives will deal with crucial areas together with capital markets, asset and wealth administration, SME financing, digital belongings, and FinTech.
The technique goals to spice up market exercise by encouraging the itemizing of extra household companies and startups. Concurrently, it is going to foster progress within the asset and wealth administration sector by creating laws and insurance policies that entice new asset managers and household companies.
The technique additionally focuses on enhancing the position of small and medium enterprises within the nationwide economic system by creating modern financing fashions that develop entry to capital, making certain the sustainability of SMEs and growing their contribution to GDP.
The approval of the technique comes as Dubai continues to strengthen its place as a number one world monetary hub, rating eleventh worldwide within the newest World Monetary Facilities Index (GFCI) – up from twelfth earlier this yr and sixteenth final yr. In accordance with the Index, Dubai leads all world monetary centres in future progress potential and is projected to achieve most importantly over the following two to a few years.
His Highness Sheikh Maktoum was up to date on the numerous progress made by VARA in establishing Dubai as a premier world hub for digital belongings and associated providers. VARA is targeted on strengthening infrastructure and increasing the attain of the digital belongings ecosystem, whereas making certain a safe, modern atmosphere for service suppliers and customers alike.
Yr-to-date VA transaction volumes throughout regulated entities beneath VARA surged to almost AED2.5 trillion, reflecting the Authority’s affect. In the meantime, belongings beneath administration exceeded AED9.6 billion in 2025, pushed by the growing participation of huge institutional gamers.
The digital belongings sector in the present day is estimated to contribute a conservative 0.5% to Dubai’s GDP, equal to roughly AED2.2 billion. Underneath the regulated VARA regime, the ecosystem is anticipated to scale responsibly and attain an estimated 3% GDP, reaching round AED13 billion.
Dubai presently hosts over 40 licensed digital asset service suppliers (VASPs), making it the only largest licensed market of its variety globally. Along with the licensed entities, there are greater than 600 registered service suppliers engaged in advisory, know-how, or proprietary buying and selling actions that don’t require full regulation.
DFM highlights
Through the assembly, His Highness Sheikh Maktoum reviewed the DFM’s key efficiency highlights. The DFM Normal Index has surged 14.7% this yr, positioning it among the many world’s best-performing monetary centres and marking its highest degree since 2008. Complete market capitalisation reached AED1 trillion in 2025. DFM additionally witnessed the AED1.4 billion IPO of ALEC Holding, and a secondary public providing for DU valued at roughly AED3.15 billion.
The Larger Committee for the Improvement of the Financial and Monetary Sector goals to endorse high-level financial and monetary insurance policies and methods that help the realisation of the Dubai Financial Agenda D33. The committee is tasked with coordinating efforts amongst related financial and monetary entities to make sure integration of actions, promote sectoral competitiveness, and help the achievement of Dubai’s overarching financial and monetary technique.
Moreover, the Larger Committee screens and anticipates future alternatives and challenges with the potential to affect financial and monetary sectors, framing applicable suggestions to handle them. These efforts purpose to make sure the long-term success of strategic targets in coordination with related stakeholders. A key precedence is enhancing Dubai’s financial and monetary competitiveness regionally and globally by streamlining insurance policies and enablers. This contains creating an built-in ecosystem for conducting financial actions that enhances Dubai’s rankings in world competitiveness indices and ensures that the emirate stays engaging to buyers, expertise, and innovation.
Empowering buyers
The Larger Committee’s goals additionally embrace launching modern financial and monetary initiatives aligned with world transformations and the structural shifts they require in operational fashions. These initiatives are designed to empower buyers to develop their capital presence, make sure the circulate of funds and investments, and supply the required incentives and services to people and establishments alike. The purpose is to encourage them to leverage the funding alternatives obtainable in Dubai, and to position such initiatives earlier than the related authorities for implementation.
Moreover, the committee develops and implement plans to advertise Dubai as a premier vacation spot for buyers, portfolio managers, and entrepreneurs, each domestically and internationally, and oversees the execution of those plans in collaboration with stakeholders throughout the emirate. In parallel, it critiques efficiency indicators from the financial and monetary sectors and makes use of them as reference factors to strengthen and elevate Dubai’s standing regionally, and globally.