CBUAE / UAE CMA / ADGM FSRA / DFSA as applicable
Do I need a licence for peer-to-peer lending in the UAE?
Content reviewed 2026-08-14 · How we check sources
Short answer
Yes, if the platform carries on a regulated lending, arranging or financing-platform activity. The exact permission depends on the jurisdiction and whether the platform lends from its own balance sheet or matches investors and borrowers.
What this means
P2P lending can cross both credit and capital-markets perimeters. The legal form of the lender, the investor participation and the platform’s role in arranging or operating the financing are decisive.
Do not assume a marketplace model is unregulated because the platform itself does not fund the loan. Map origination, underwriting, investor participation, servicing and client-money roles.
Official sources
UAE CMA — Regulations ↗ADGM FSRA — Private Financing Platforms ↗Ask with your entity, activity and regulator.
Regulatory research, not legal advice. This answer has the scope and review date shown above; your institution decides applicability.