The UAE Finfluencer License 2026: Registering Financial Content Creators with the SCA

The Finfluencer License is mandatory registration with the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) for any individual providing financial recommendations via social media who has 1,000 or more followers.

The governing instrument is the Chairman of the Board of Directors’ Resolution No. (10/R.M) of 2025, issued by the SCA on 20 May 2025 and effective the following day, 21 May 2025 — the first regime of its kind in the Middle East regulating financial influencers.

The resolution applies regardless of the content creator’s location, as long as the content’s audience is in the UAE — an extraterritorial reach unusual for a regulation of this kind.

The Finfluencer License is separate from the existing Advertiser Permit (UAE Media Council) for bloggers and influencers generally; a financial content creator may need both licences simultaneously.

⚠ Registration, renewal, and legal consultation fees for the Finfluencer License are waived for the first three years of the regime — the SCA expressly dropped these charges to encourage voluntary compliance during the rollout period.

1. The Legal Basis

The Finfluencer License is governed by a specific resolution of the federal financial regulator, rather than a parliamentary-level statute.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors’ Resolution No. (10/R.M) of 2025 was issued by the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) — the federal body regulating securities and commodities markets in the UAE.

⚠ Important update: effective 1 January 2026, the SCA was formally renamed the Capital Market Authority (CMA) under Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2025 and Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2025 — the CMA is the SCA’s full legal successor, and all existing licences and registrations, including the Finfluencer License, transferred to the CMA automatically without any need to reapply. New registrations from 2026 onward should be filed with the CMA, not the SCA — the name “SCA” is retained below only where referring to events predating the rename (the resolution’s issuance in May 2025); for current action, readers should look to the CMA.

Per the SCA’s official registry, a finfluencer is defined as an individual registered with the SCA to provide financial recommendations related to the purchase, sale, or holding of a financial product or virtual asset, or advice regarding a financial service.

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2. Timeline of the Regime’s Introduction

Date	Event
20 May 2025	Chairman of the Board of Directors’ Resolution No. (10/R.M) of 2025 issued by the SCA
21 May 2025	The resolution took effect — the day after issuance
28 May 2025	SCA officially announced the launch of the Finfluencer licence

Only one day elapsed between the resolution’s issuance and its effective date — an unusually rapid rollout for a financial regulation, with no transition period.

3. Who Must Register

The threshold for mandatory registration is defined quantitatively, not by a subjective assessment of the creator’s prominence.

The minimum threshold for mandatory registration is 1,000 followers for an individual providing financial recommendations, per the SCA’s official announcement.

ℹ Some secondary (non-primary) sources cite an additional eligibility criterion — holding a CFA certificate or SCA-accredited financial analyst status, in combination with the follower threshold; this point is not directly confirmed in the resolution’s primary text and should be verified directly with the SCA before applying.

⚠ The requirement applies regardless of the content creator’s location — if the content targets a UAE audience, the registration requirement extends to creators based outside the country.

4. What Falls Under the Regulation

The definition covers a broad range of financial content formats, not only classic video reviews.

•       Recommendations to buy, sell, or hold a financial product.

•       Recommendations relating to virtual assets (cryptocurrencies and related instruments).

•       Advice on financial services or resources within the country.

•       Distribution via written and audio social media formats, seminars, and meetings.

5. Registration Procedure and Processing Time

A registration application is processed by the SCA within 5 working days of submission.

Following review, the SCA issues one of three outcomes: approval, approval with conditions, or rejection, with reasons stated for a rejection.

The Finfluencer License requires annual renewal.

✅ The registration fee, renewal fee, and compliance legal consultation fee have been waived by the SCA for the first three years of the regime.

6. Obligations of a Licensed Finfluencer

Obtaining the licence carries specific disclosure obligations in every published piece of content.

Per Article 5 of the resolution, a registered finfluencer must display their own name, registration number, and the name of the participant (if applicable) in the content published.

⚠ A finfluencer is required to remind investors of the importance of obtaining individual advice from SCA-licensed entities before making an investment decision suited to the investor’s capabilities and objectives — a direct content requirement, not a general suggestion.

7. Finfluencer License and Advertiser Permit: Two Separate Requirements

Parameter	Finfluencer License (SCA)	Advertiser Permit (UAE Media Council)
Regulator	Securities and Commodities Authority	UAE Media Council
Subject matter	Financial recommendations, investment analysis, virtual asset advice	Advertising content of any category, paid or bartered
Applicability to DIFC	Not directly applicable, but DFSA requirements apply	Applies on general terms
Registration threshold	From 1,000 followers	Not tied to follower count
Are both licences needed at once	Yes, if content is simultaneously advertising and financial	Yes, if content is simultaneously advertising and financial

The key practical implication: a content creator giving financial advice on a paid or bartered basis may need both licences simultaneously — the Finfluencer License covers the substance of financial recommendations, while the Advertiser Permit covers the commercial nature of the publication as advertising.

8. Status in DIFC and Other Financial Free Zones

The SCA’s resolution primarily targets the UAE mainland, not financial free zones with their own regulators.

⚠ DIFC and other financial free zones are not directly subject to Resolution No. 10/R.M of 2025, but individuals operating from DIFC or targeting its audience must still ensure compliance with the Dubai Financial Services Authority’s (DFSA) financial promotion and conduct requirements — exemption from one regulator does not mean an absence of regulation altogether.

9. Step-by-Step Process for a Content Creator

1.     Assess whether your account’s follower count exceeds the 1,000 threshold, and whether your published content contains financial recommendations within the resolution’s meaning.

2.     Confirm the exact eligibility criteria directly with the SCA (including any qualification requirements), since not all details are confirmed in publicly available primary sources.

3.     Submit a registration application through the SCA, taking advantage of the fee waiver in effect for the first three years.

4.     Await the decision within 5 working days; if rejected, clarify the grounds and assess whether to reapply.

5.     Implement the mandatory disclosure elements (name, registration number, participant name) across all published financial content.

6.     If the content is simultaneously advertising in nature, separately assess whether an Advertiser Permit from the UAE Media Council is also required.

7.     Renew the licence annually and track when the fee-waiver period ends.

10. Common Mistakes

•       Assuming the regulation targets only large, “professional” finance bloggers. The threshold is a formal numeric one — 1,000 followers — and does not depend on the creator’s scale or professional status.

•       Assuming being based outside the UAE exempts a creator from registration. The resolution applies based on the audience, not the content creator’s location.

•       Treating the Finfluencer License and the Advertiser Permit as interchangeable requirements. These are two different regulators covering two different subject matters — financial content may require both licences at once.

•       Omitting the mandatory disclosure elements from published content. Article 5 of the resolution expressly requires stating the name, registration number, and participant name — not a formality but a compliance condition.

11. Who Registering the Finfluencer License Fits

•       Financial bloggers and content creators with a UAE audience of 1,000+ followers. This is the explicit threshold for mandatory registration.

•       Virtual asset analysts giving cryptocurrency recommendations to a UAE audience. The finfluencer definition expressly includes recommendations on virtual assets.

12. Who This Does Not Fit

•       Creators of general educational content without specific investment recommendations. The definition covers specific product recommendations rather than general financial education — though the boundary may not always be clear in practice.

•       Licensed financial institutions already under SCA supervision on other grounds. The regime targets individual influencers, not institutional market participants.

13. When Professional Verification Is Essential

Self-assessment is worth supplementing with specialist advice when: uncertain whether a specific content format falls within the definition of a financial recommendation; operating simultaneously on the mainland and in DIFC with a need to satisfy both regulators; and confirming details not directly confirmed by the primary text — for example, additional qualification requirements.

FAQ

At what follower count is Finfluencer License registration required?

From 1,000 followers for an individual providing financial recommendations, per the SCA’s official announcement.

Is registration required if the content creator is based outside the UAE?

Yes, the requirement applies based on the audience — if the content targets UAE users, the creator’s location does not matter.

Is obtaining the Finfluencer License paid?

Registration, renewal, and legal consultation are free for the first three years of the regime.

Does the Finfluencer License replace the Advertiser Permit?

No, these are two separate requirements from different regulators — financial content published on advertising terms may require both licences simultaneously.

Key Takeaways

•       The Finfluencer License was introduced by Resolution No. 10/R.M of 2025, issued by the SCA on 20 May 2025 and effective 21 May 2025.

•       The mandatory registration threshold is 1,000 followers; the requirement applies regardless of the creator’s location.

•       Registration, renewal, and consultation are free for the first three years.

•       Applications are processed within 5 working days; the licence requires annual renewal.

•       The Finfluencer License and Advertiser Permit are separate requirements from different regulators and may be needed simultaneously.

•       DIFC is not directly subject to the SCA resolution but requires compliance with DFSA rules.

●      Effective 1 January 2026, the SCA was renamed the Capital Market Authority (CMA); the CMA is the full legal successor, with all licences transferred automatically without reapplication.

Summary

The UAE Finfluencer License was introduced by the Chairman of the Board of Directors’ Resolution No. (10/R.M) of 2025, issued by the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) on 20 May 2025 and effective 21 May 2025 — the first regime of its kind in the Middle East regulating financial influencers. Registration is mandatory for individuals with 1,000 or more followers providing financial recommendations, regardless of the creator’s location, as long as the content’s audience is in the UAE. Applications are processed within 5 working days; registration, renewal, and legal consultation are free for the first three years. A licensed finfluencer must display their name, registration number, and participant name in published content. The Finfluencer License is separate from the Advertiser Permit (UAE Media Council) — both requirements may apply simultaneously to financial advertising content. DIFC is not directly subject to the SCA resolution but requires compliance with DFSA financial promotion rules.

Sources

• Securities and Commodities Authority — SCA Launches Region’s First "Finfluencer" License, official announcement (sca.gov.ae)

• Securities and Commodities Authority — List of Authorized Finfluencers, official Open Data registry (sca.gov.ae)

• Chambers and Partners — New UAE Law Regulates Finfluencers and Financial Information Provided on Social Media (chambers.com)

• Pinsent Masons — UAE introduces new licencing regime for ‘finfluencers’ (pinsentmasons.com)

• Hadef & Partners — Regulating Influence: The UAE’s New Compliance Regime for Finfluencers (hadefpartners.com)

• UAE Government — New CMA Law, official regulator portal after the rename (uaecma.gov.ae)

Disclaimer

This material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, investment, or consulting advice. The regulatory regime and requirements for the Finfluencer License may change — request current requirements directly from the SCA. Information is accurate as of June 2026.