Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE)
Do I need a licence to issue a stablecoin in the UAE?
Content reviewed 2026-08-14 · How we check sources
Short answer
Yes, if the token is a regulated Payment Token and you issue it within the CBUAE perimeter. The CBUAE Payment Token Services Regulation creates a Payment Token Issuing licence for eligible Dirham Payment Tokens, while foreign-currency payment-token issuers use the separate foreign issuer registration route where applicable.
What this means
Do not treat every blockchain token called a stablecoin as the same legal product. The regulatory outcome depends on whether it is used as a means of payment, its denomination, the issuer location and whether another UAE virtual-asset or capital-markets regime applies.
If the product is intended for payments, map issuance, redemption, reserves, custody, conversion and distribution separately. A VARA or other virtual-asset permission should not be assumed to replace a CBUAE payment-token permission.
Official sources
CBUAE — Payment Token Services Regulation ↗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.