Securities & Commodities Authority (SCA)

What is the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA)?

The UAE Securities and Commodities Authority (“SCA” or sometimes referred to as “ESCA”) is tasked with monitoring and regulating the UAE’s financial markets including the Dubai Financial Market (“DFM”), the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (“ADX”) and the Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange (“DGCX”). Furthermore, SCA regulates all securities-related activity within the UAE excluding activity within the Dubai International Financial Centre (“DIFC”) and the Abu Dhabi Global Market (“ADGM”).

What type of SCA licence is required?

The type of SCA licence that you will require depends on the activities you wish to undertake. Permissible businesses under some of the available key licences and the mandatory positions and qualifications required for each licence are detailed in our USA SCA Authorisation guide.

How can Waystone Compliance Solutions support you with your SCA obligations?

With various government bodies involved, the process can often be a challenge, however, by utilising our reliable contacts and resources across the UAE regulatory landscape, we can project manage your SCA licensing application coherently and effectively, leaving you to manage your day-to-day business.

SCA regulations are constantly evolving, and we can provide you with ongoing support, an interpretation of the regulations, and advice on how to best update your systems and controls.

Guidance on the Investment Business Regulations of the SCA

We created our SCA Focus Series, to provide detailed guidance on the Investment Business Regulations of the Securities and Commodities Authority of the UAE, including detailed information on the various application processes. Issues will be released periodically throughout the year.