Anyone in the UAE who gives financial recommendations on social media, such as telling followers to buy, sell or hold a stock, fund or crypto asset, must be registered with the Capital Market Authority (CMA, formerly the SCA) as a “finfluencer”. Registration costs AED 5,000, is renewed every year, and is only open to CFA holders or accredited financial analysts who are independent of licensed firms. Most creators who post stock tips do not meet those conditions, so the practical rule is: educate if you like, but do not recommend.

This guide is for UAE-based content creators who talk about money, for the brokers and platforms that pay them, and for followers who want to know whether the person giving them tips is allowed to. It is based on the CMA’s own service pages for Chairman’s Decision No. (10/R.M) of 2025 on the regulation of finfluencers.

What Counts as a Finfluencer in the UAE

The regime is aimed at recommendations, not at talking about money in general. Law firm summaries of the decision define a finfluencer as a registered person who provides financial recommendations through a public medium about buying, selling or holding a financial product or virtual asset.

The medium is deliberately broad. Social media posts, videos, podcasts, blogs, seminars and public appearances all count, and the rules cover virtual assets as well as shares, bonds and funds.

Content type Is it a recommendation?
“Buy this stock before earnings” or “I’m loading up on this token, you should too” Yes. This is a recommendation to buy.
A price target or “this is going to 10x” Yes. A statement about a product’s expected value is treated as a recommendation.
A paid post for a broker, exchange or fund Usually yes, and it also needs a Media Council advertiser permit
Explaining how an ETF works, or how UAE dividend tax works Generally no, as long as it does not tell people what to buy
Budgeting, saving and personal finance habits No product recommendation, so outside the finfluencer rules

The line between education and recommendation is a judgment call. If a post names a specific product and tells people what to do with it, treat it as a recommendation.

Do I need a license to post about stocks in the UAE?

Only if you recommend them. Explaining how markets or products work is not regulated as a recommendation, but telling your audience to buy, sell or hold a specific stock, fund or crypto asset requires CMA finfluencer registration under Decision No. (10/R.M) of 2025.

Who Can Register: The Two Conditions

This is the part most online summaries get wrong. Registration is not a license anyone with 1,000 followers can buy; it is a professional registration with a qualification test.

The CMA’s Finfluencer Registration service page sets two conditions, and both must be met.

Condition What the CMA requires
1. Qualification and independence A financial analyst accredited by the CMA or an equivalent regulator, or a CFA certificate holder; and independent, meaning not employed by any entity licensed by the CMA or an equivalent regulator
2. Influence among market participants Shown by any of: at least 1,000 genuine followers; at least six months of financial or investment experience; a record of repeated professional recommendations based on established analysis; or previous recommendations quoted by specialized third parties such as media outlets

The 1,000-follower figure is only one way to meet the second condition. It is not the trigger for the first, which is where most creators fall out.

Why the independence test matters

An employee of a licensed broker or bank cannot register as an independent finfluencer. That does not mean they can post tips freely; it means their public statements fall under their employer’s license and compliance rules instead.

If you are employed in a regulated firm and run a personal finance account, check your employer’s social media and research policies before posting anything that names a product.

What Happens If You Don’t Qualify

If you are neither a CFA holder nor an accredited analyst, you cannot register. You can still produce financial content, but you have to stay on the education side of the line. If content is a side income for you, our guide to legal side hustles in Dubai covers the licensing you need to be paid at all.

  • Do: explain concepts, compare how product types work, cover UAE rules, share your own budgeting approach.
  • Avoid: naming a specific stock, fund or token and telling people to buy, sell or hold it; giving price targets; running paid “signals” groups.
  • Paid partnerships: promoting a broker or crypto platform brings in the Media Council advertiser permit and, for virtual assets in Dubai, VARA’s marketing rules. See our guide to the UAE influencer advertiser permit.

How to Register With the CMA

Step 1: Confirm you meet both conditions

Check your CFA or accreditation status and your independence first. Without condition 1, the application cannot succeed however large your audience is.

Step 2: Gather the documents

The CMA lists a CV, a valid passport copy with a residence visa copy for non-UAE nationals, an Emirates ID copy, degree or professional certificates, work experience certificates, a recent Etihad Credit Bureau credit report, and a valid certificate of good conduct.

Step 3: Submit the application form by email

The service page directs applicants to send the approved form and documents to the CMA licensing department at [email protected]. The CMA then issues its decision with the registration certificate.

Step 4: Pay the fee

The service page lists a federal fee of AED 5,000. Several law firms reported a three-year fee waiver when the rules launched in May 2025, but the CMA page does not mention one, so confirm with the CMA on 800 722823 before paying.

Step 5: Display your registration and renew every year

Registration is annual. The CMA’s renewal service asks for updated identity documents, any certificates obtained in the past year, a new credit report and a fresh good conduct certificate.

Item Detail (CMA service pages)
Legal basis Chairman of the Board of Directors’ Decision No. (10/R.M) of 2025
Fee AED 5,000
Processing time 3 days for the registration decision
Validity Annual, renewed through the CMA renewal service
Contact 800 SCAUAE (722823), Monday to Thursday 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM, Friday 7:30 AM to 12:00 PM

Your Obligations Once Registered

Law firm summaries of Article 5 of the decision describe a set of conduct rules. The main ones are:

  • Show your name, registration number and professional status on your content.
  • Separate facts, statistics, estimates, opinions and personal experience, and give your sources.
  • Warn about high-risk products and avoid misleading or exaggerated claims.
  • Disclose every conflict of interest, including paid promotions and holdings in what you recommend.
  • Keep records the regulator can inspect, and tell followers to seek specialized advice before investing.

Firms that pay finfluencers also carry responsibility. Summaries of the decision say a licensed firm must review and approve content before it is published and keep records of the arrangement.

SCA or CMA: Which Regulator Is It Now?

The decision was issued by the Securities and Commodities Authority in May 2025. From 1 January 2026, the SCA became the Capital Market Authority under Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2025, as the CMA’s announcement of the new laws explains.

The CMA is the SCA’s legal successor, and its service pages still process finfluencer registrations under Decision No. (10/R.M) of 2025. Some CMA pages and email addresses still carry the SCA name.

What about the DIFC, ADGM and Dubai crypto?

The CMA regime covers the federal onshore market. The DIFC and ADGM have their own financial regulators, and virtual asset activity in Dubai is supervised by VARA, which has its own marketing rules. Our guides to VARA and crypto in Dubai and the licensed crypto exchanges in the UAE cover that side.

Penalties

We could not verify a published fine schedule specific to the finfluencer decision, and the CMA’s service pages do not list one. Figures quoted online, such as AED 200,000, did not trace back to an official source, so we have not relied on them.

Two things are clear. The CMA can take enforcement action under the capital market laws against unauthorized financial activity, and it publishes a List of Authorized Finfluencers alongside its warnings and violators lists. Separately, paid promotion without a Media Council advertiser permit is penalized under the media law, as our UAE social media laws and fines guide explains.

For Followers: How to Check a Finfluencer

Before acting on anyone’s tip, check three things. It takes a few minutes and filters out most bad actors.

  1. Look for the registration number on the post or profile. Registered finfluencers are expected to display it.
  2. Check the CMA’s List of Authorized Finfluencers under Open Data on the CMA website.
  3. Check the platform they push you toward. A tip that ends in a link to an unlicensed broker or a private “signals” group is the classic pattern. Our guide to checking whether a trading platform is licensed shows how.

If you have already lost money, report it to the police and your bank quickly. Our roundup of common UAE scams and how to report them covers the channels.

What We See in Practice

The most common misunderstanding is the follower count. Creators read “1,000 followers” in a headline and assume it is a threshold below which they are free to recommend anything, or above which they can simply pay AED 5,000 and register.

Neither is right. The qualification test in condition 1 decides who can register at all, and for most personal finance creators the safe course is to keep content educational and leave specific recommendations to licensed professionals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a finfluencer license in the UAE?

It is a registration with the Capital Market Authority (formerly the SCA) under Decision No. (10/R.M) of 2025. It is required for anyone who gives financial recommendations to the public, including on social media.

Do I need a finfluencer license if I have fewer than 1,000 followers?

The follower count is only one way to show influence. What triggers the rules is giving recommendations, so a small unregistered account that tells people what to buy is still in breach.

How much does finfluencer registration cost?

The CMA’s service page lists a fee of AED 5,000, renewed annually. Some law firms reported a three-year fee waiver at launch, so confirm the current position with the CMA.

Can I register as a finfluencer without a CFA?

Only if you are a financial analyst accredited by the CMA or an equivalent regulator. Without either credential, you do not meet the first registration condition.

Can an employee of a bank or broker be a finfluencer?

Not as an independent finfluencer. The CMA requires registrants to be independent of licensed entities, so employees are governed by their employer’s license and compliance rules.

Is the SCA finfluencer license still valid after the switch to the CMA?

Yes. The CMA replaced the SCA on 1 January 2026 as its legal successor and still registers finfluencers under the same decision.

Do I also need a Media Council advertiser permit?

If you are paid to promote a product or platform, yes. The finfluencer registration covers recommendations; the advertiser permit covers paid advertising content.

How do I check if a finfluencer is registered?

Look for the registration number on their content and check the CMA’s List of Authorized Finfluencers under Open Data on the CMA website.

Official Sources

Information current as of September 2026. Verify with official authorities before proceeding.

This guide is for informational purposes only. It is not financial or investment advice. UAE regulations and fees are subject to change. Always verify current requirements with the relevant official authority before proceeding with any application or transaction.