Find the legal company in your client agreement, then match that exact name to the correct regulator's public register and read the activities it is permitted to conduct. A logo or a group licence is not enough.
The UAE's federal securities regulator is now the Capital Market Authority (CMA), formerly the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA). DIFC firms are supervised by the DFSA and ADGM firms by the FSRA. A trading app may display licences from several places, but the entity signing your contract determines which one is relevant to your account.
Which UAE register should you use?
The UAE Government describes the 2026 change from SCA to CMA. Some official register pages and older documents still use the SCA name or domain. Follow the official authority's register, and avoid relying on a copied licence image or a search snippet alone.
Location or claim
Official starting point
What to read
Federal/onshore UAE authorisation
CMA licensed-companies register (formerly SCA)
Legal name, status and each licensed activity
DIFC authorisation
DFSA Public Register
Firm name, reference number and permitted financial services
ADGM authorisation
FSRA Public Register
Firm name, status and permitted activities
DFM or ADX shares
Exchange trading-member directory
Whether the broker can actually route orders to that exchange
Five checks before you send money
Copy the legal company name and registration or licence number from the proposed client agreement, not from the brand logo.
Search the official CMA, DFSA or FSRA register for that exact entity; record the status, address and regulator's own reference number.
Read the permitted activities. 'Introduction' or 'financial consultation' is not the same as executing a trade, holding client money or managing a portfolio.
Compare the website domain and contact details with the official record. If they differ, call the regulator or registered firm using contact details obtained independently.
Read which entity receives deposits and provides execution and custody. Ask for the client agreement and complaint process before transferring money.
Why the type of licence matters
A concrete CMA register entry for a Category 5 firm lists 'Financial Consultations' and 'Introduction' as active activities. The same official entry expressly says those permissions do not authorise the firm to execute client orders in derivatives, unregulated commodity contracts or spot FX. The lesson is to read the activity field and any notice on the firm's entry, not to infer a full trading permission from 'licensed in the UAE'.
Likewise, a DFSA or FSRA registration must be checked for the specific service offered to you. A brand may refer you from a UAE marketing company to an overseas execution entity. If that happens, understand which company contracts with you and which legal protections apply; the two companies are not interchangeable.
If the details do not match
Pause the deposit. Request the complete legal entity name, a direct link to the official register entry, the account agreement and an explanation of which company executes trades. Do not use a phone number supplied only in an unsolicited message to 'verify' it. If a firm claims a UAE permission that cannot be found or is outside its licensed activities, use the relevant regulator's published contact or complaint channel.
A copied register page can look convincing. Type the regulator's official address yourself, open the entry there, and compare the registered firm's contact details with the site or message that approached you. The DFSA has warned about cloned versions of its Public Register; a screenshot or search-result link is not independent verification.
Exchange membership is a separate question. For directly owned DFM or ADX shares, check the market's trading-member directory as well as any regulatory licence. A UAE advisory permission alone does not prove direct exchange access.
Work through a licence claim before accepting it
Suppose an app advertises a 'UAE licence', but the proposed agreement names Company B overseas while the UAE register names Company A. Start with Company B: it is the entity that would owe you the contractual service. Ask who executes the order, who holds client assets and which regulator supervises those activities for Company B. Company A's permission cannot simply be borrowed for Company B's contract.
Next read Company A's own register entry. It may permit introductions or advice but not dealing or custody. A salesperson can truthfully say Company A appears on a register while leaving out the narrow activity scope. Record the exact activity, status, reference number and any restriction. If the answer changes when you request the agreement, stop until the legal chain is clear.
Finally compare the domain, customer-service contact and account beneficiary with the independent official record. Do not transfer to a personal account or an unexplained third company merely because the app displays a familiar logo. This is a hypothetical method, not an assessment of a named broker.
A licence, a market membership and a product are separate
Layer
Where to check
What it does not establish
Financial-services permission
CMA, DFSA or FSRA official firm entry
That every service or every group company is covered
Market access
DFM or ADX trading-member directory
That your own account holds a direct share rather than a derivative
Your account product
Client agreement, product disclosure and order ticket
That a regulator guarantees returns or repayment
Use all three layers for a direct UAE-share purchase. For an overseas share or CFD, identify the actual execution entity and its applicable permissions instead of assuming local exchange membership is relevant.
What to preserve if a licence claim fails
Save the dated advert or message, the account-opening page and the complete agreement showing the legal company.
Keep the exact domain, register result, licence number claimed and any mismatch in activities or contact details.
Record the deposit instructions and beneficiary name before paying; if money was sent, retain transfer confirmation and bank reference.
Use the regulator's own complaint or contact channel and give a concise timeline. Contact the bank promptly about a disputed transfer.
A complaint route is not a promise that funds can be recovered. Clear records make it easier for the relevant authority or bank to understand which company and payment were involved.
Read the full firm entry, not just its search-result line
A search result that displays a familiar name is only the start. Open the regulator's full firm page and inspect legal status, reference number, authorised financial services, restrictions and contact information. Save the date you checked it. A similar company name, a former trading name or a group-level brand can easily lead to the wrong record.
For a DIFC claim, the DFSA Public Register can show permitted financial services. For an ADGM claim, use the FSRA's official public register. For a federal UAE claim, use the CMA register even if an older document still says SCA. If a salesperson gives you a licence certificate, compare it to the live record and seek clarification from the regulator using independently sourced contact details.
Check the service offered against the activity permitted
Suppose a firm is authorised to introduce clients to another provider. That may allow it to make an introduction under its stated scope, but it does not establish that it can execute your forex or CFD order, hold your cash or manage your investments. Each service in the proposed account needs a named provider and an appropriate permission.
If a local company sends you to an overseas platform, follow the account-opening chain until you reach the legal counterparty. Read that company's regulator, dispute route, custody terms and product documents. Do not stop at the first UAE logo in the journey. The CMA Category 5 example in the sources shows why a real licence can still have a narrow scope.
Sources and further reading
Primary references checked for this guide. Fees, trading hours and regulatory permissions can change; confirm the current terms before acting.
The federal securities authority is now called the Capital Market Authority (CMA); it was previously the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA). Older materials may use SCA.
Does a Category 5 licence let a company hold my trading money?+
Do not assume so. Check the exact activities and notices on that company's official CMA entry. Introduction or advisory permission does not itself establish authority to execute trades or hold client assets.
If a broker's group has a DFSA licence, is my account DFSA-regulated?+
Only if the contracting entity and service fall under that permission. Read the agreement and confirm the matching legal company in the DFSA register.
Risk warning
A valid licence does not eliminate market risk or guarantee recovery of funds. This guide explains verification steps, not the status of any particular account; confirm the current register entry and client terms yourself.
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