The Forrester report, which lists 42 vendors, provides financial institutions with an overview of notable vendors and the key market dynamics shaping the rapidly evolving financial crime management (FCM) market, including fraud and anti-money laundering (AML) solutions.

MOZN was listed in the report with a geographic focus on Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions, and an industry focus on financial services, government, and insurance. The recognition underscores the company’s sustained investment in AI-driven innovation and its focus on delivering scalable, future-ready financial crime solutions tailored to high-growth and complex regulatory markets.

At the center of this recognition is FOCAL, MOZN’s end-to-end financial crime management platform. Built on a unified FRAML (Fraud + AML) architecture, FOCAL leverages agentic AI to automate data integration, accelerate risk-scoring, and streamline alert triage, enhancing investigator productivity while preserving human judgment. The platform offers flexible deployment options, allowing organizations to modernize their operations in a way that aligns with their technical and regulatory needs.

“MOZN’s inclusion in Forrester’s report reflects the progress we have made in building technology that truly transforms how institutions combat financial crime,” said Dr. Mohammed Alhussein, Founder and CEO of MOZN. “As Saudi Arabia designates 2026 as the Year of Artificial Intelligence, it reinforces the Kingdom’s ambition to lead in shaping the future of AI globally. At MOZN, we are proud to contribute to this vision by engineering AI-native platforms that make financial crime prevention more proactive, precise, and effective. This milestone reflects both the momentum of our mission and the growing global relevance of technology built in the region.”

By combining deep regional expertise with global technology standards, MOZN continues to advance its purpose of empowering organizations with intelligence that matters. The company remains committed to delivering AI-native solutions purpose-built for the world’s most regulated and knowledge-intensive sectors, enabling institutions to operate with greater clarity, confidence, and control. As demand for advanced AI-driven capabilities accelerates worldwide, MOZN is expanding its global footprint, supporting organizations as they navigate an increasingly complex financial crime landscape.

The post MOZN’s AI-Powered FOCAL Platform Earns Recognition in Forrester Financial Crime Landscape appeared first on The Integrator.

The UAE Ministry of Finance has issued Ministerial Decision No. 24 of 2026, setting out the detailed implementation rules for the country’s first-ever Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit regime under the Corporate Tax framework. Effective for Tax Periods commencing on or after 1 January 2026, the decision establishes a progressive, tiered credit structure with rates of 15%, 35% and 50%, linked to both the level of qualifying R&D expenditure and the number of R&D staff employed. The maximum qualifying expenditure is capped at AED 5 million per entity or Tax Group per year.

“The R&D Tax Credit is a landmark development, but it is not a simple year-end adjustment. The dual-threshold design means this is as much a workforce planning exercise as a tax planning one. Businesses need to understand that pre-approval from the Council is mandatory before any credit can be claimed – this is a precondition, not an administrative formality. Companies that begin mapping their R&D activities against the Frascati Manual criteria, quantifying qualifying expenditure and building their documentation framework now will be in the strongest position when it comes time to file,” said Nimish Goel, Leader Middle East, Dhruva, Ryan LLC Affiliate.

The move represents one of the clearest signals yet that the UAE intends its tax framework to actively incentivise innovation, influence capital allocation and support the country’s long-term economic diversification going well beyond revenue collection and international alignment. For businesses operating in manufacturing, technology, engineering, healthcare, food and beverage, agriculture, and other innovation-led sectors, the key consideration is whether internal systems are equipped to capture the benefit.

The credit operates on a dual-threshold basis that is unlike most international R&D incentive regimes. To access each tier, a business must satisfy both a minimum qualifying expenditure level and a minimum average R&D headcount. The first AED 1 million of qualifying spend attracts a 15% credit, requiring at least two R&D staff. The portion between AED 1 to 2 million qualifies at 35%, requiring at least six staff. Spend between AED 2 to 5 million qualifies at 50%, requiring at least fourteen staff. If the headcount threshold is not met, the credit rate drops to the highest tier where both conditions are satisfied, creating material cliff-edge effects that make workforce planning an integral part of tax planning for the first time in the UAE.

Qualifying R&D activities must meet five criteria drawn from the OECD Frascati Manual; they must be novel, creative, uncertain in outcome, systematic, and transferable or reproducible. Activities in social sciences, humanities and the arts are excluded, and only R&D conducted within the UAE qualifies. Qualifying expenditure falls into three categories: staff costs (which receive a 30% overhead uplift), consumable costs, and subcontracting fees paid to UAE-based contractors. Intra-group transactions are consistently excluded from qualifying expenditure, a design choice that will require groups with centralised R&D functions to review their cost allocation and transfer pricing arrangements carefully.

The decision also introduces a mandatory pre-approval process administered by the Council, ongoing compliance reporting obligations, and a seven-year record-keeping requirement for technical documentation covering R&D objectives, methodologies, experiments and findings. These requirements signal that the UAE authorities expect robust, contemporaneous evidence of qualifying activities, not retrospective assembly at the time of filing.

Commenting on the development, Justin Arnesen, Principal, Practice Leader, Europe & Asia Pacific Innovation Funding, Ryan, said, “Ryan’s global experience in R&D tax credits shows that the difference between a policy announcement and a commercial outcome lies in the rigour of eligibility analysis, documentation and claims management. We have helped UK businesses receive over AED 2.5 billion in innovation funding through R&D Tax credits. These outcomes were driven by disciplined processes, not just the existence of a credit. This initiative not only aligns with global best practices but also sends a clear signal to multinational organisations and emerging enterprises that the UAE is serious about fostering a knowledge and innovation-based economy.”

Implications for Multinational Groups under Pillar Two

For multinational groups within the scope of the UAE’s Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax (DMTT), the R&D Tax Credit adds an important layer to Effective Tax Rate (ETR) modelling. Because the credit is non-refundable, it is likely to be treated as a reduction of covered taxes under the Global Anti-Base Erosion (GloBE) rules rather than as a Qualified Refundable Tax Credit, a distinction that can lower the jurisdictional ETR rather than improve it. For groups operating at or near the 15% minimum rate, this means the credit could paradoxically increase Top-up Tax exposure even as it reduces Corporate Tax liability.

However, the decision provides a mechanism for unutilised credits to offset top-up tax directly through the Domestic Group structure, which partially mitigates this effect. Multinationals should model the net impact across both Corporate Tax and top-up tax before claiming, and factor in the five-year claw-back provision that applies if the entity’s status changes – including becoming a qualifying free zone person or redomiciling outside the UAE.

For businesses with cross-border operations, the commercial value of the R&D Tax Credit extends beyond the direct tax saving. The credit’s treatment in the group’s wider international tax profile, including its classification under tax treaties, its interaction with Pillar Two ETR calculations, and its impact on transfer pricing for cost contribution arrangements will require integrated advisory across multiple disciplines. Groups conducting joint R&D through cost contribution arrangements should note that only the arm’s length share of contributions attributable to UAE-based R&D qualifies, adding a transfer pricing dimension to credit planning. The Ministerial Decision applies to Tax Periods and Fiscal Years commencing on or after 1^st January 2026.

“The UAE has built a thoughtful, well-structured framework with clear international lineage – the Frascati Manual criteria, the tiered incentive design, the Pillar Two integration. Early investment in activity mapping, expenditure tracking and documentation is likely to determine the extent to which businesses can access and sustain benefits under the regime,” concluded Nimish.

The post EARLY ELIGIBILITY ASSESSMENT AND PRE-APPROVAL CRITICAL UNDER UAE R&D TAX CREDIT RULES appeared first on The Integrator.

Bitcoin edged higher last week, gaining 11%, yet it continues to struggle to convincingly break through the $74,000 resistance level, according to Simon Peters, crypto analyst at eToro.

US bitcoin spot ETFs recorded $763 million in net inflows over the past week, helping to push prices higher. Strategy, the largest bitcoin treasury company by total holdings, also disclosed another significant purchase of 17,994 bitcoin for approximately $1.28 billion.

Looking ahead, the Federal Reserve meeting this week could prove pivotal in determining whether bitcoin breaks above the $74,000 level or experiences a correction. While markets had previously anticipated a dovish pivot, a sudden spike in oil prices due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East may prompt the Fed to reconsider its outlook.

“The consensus is for the Fed to hold rates on Wednesday, but if Chairman Powell signals in his press conference that the central bank is prepared to raise rates should oil prices remain elevated or continue rising, this could trigger a sell-off in cryptoasset prices,” said Peters.

The meeting will also see the release of the Federal Reserve’s latest “dot plot”, offering insights into where each Federal Open Market Committee participant believes interest rates should be by the end of the year, next year and over the longer term.

AI tokens surge amid Nvidia comments

Among the biggest movers in the crypto market over the past week were AI-related tokens TAO and FET, both rising 47% as investors rotated into the sector following bullish remarks about artificial intelligence by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

Ahead of Nvidia’s GTC AI conference this week, Huang described AI as “essential infrastructure”, stating that every company and nation will build and use it.

These comments have renewed interest in on-chain, decentralised AI networks, pushing tokens such as TAO and FET higher.

Mastercard launches crypto partner program

Mastercard has launched its Mastercard Crypto Partner Program, a new global initiative bringing together more than 85 companies across the crypto ecosystem, including exchanges, stablecoin issuers and blockchain development teams.

The program aims to foster dialogue and collaboration as the crypto sector continues to mature. Participants will work with Mastercard teams to combine the speed and programmability of blockchain technology with Mastercard’s merchant network spanning more than 210 countries.

The initiative builds on Mastercard’s existing digital asset activities, including its Start Path blockchain track, Engage platform and Crypto Card program.

Bitcoin reaches 20 million supply milestone

Bitcoin reached a historic milestone last week when the 20 millionth bitcoin was mined, marking the issuance of more than 95% of the cryptocurrency’s total capped supply of 21 million coins.

The milestone was reached on 10 March at block height 931200, 17 years after the network first launched. Due to Bitcoin’s halving schedule, the remaining one million coins are expected to take approximately another 114 years to be mined, with the final bitcoin projected to enter circulation around the year 2140.

Crossing the 20 million milestone again highlights Bitcoin’s scarcity dynamics. With demand continuing to outpace the new supply issued daily by miners and many holders unwilling to sell at current prices, the market could be positioned for a significant move higher over the coming months and years.

The post BITCOIN STRUGGLES TO BREAK $74,000 RESISTANCE AS ETF INFLOWS RISE appeared first on The Integrator.

In alignment with the UAE’s ambitious vision to evolve into a global hub for business and foreign capital, ABA Legal, a boutique corporate law consultancy headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, has announced its bold and strategic expansion of Legal Structure Mapping – a refined core advisory specially mentoring FDI and investors in interpreting and navigating the UAE’s investor-focused legal framework across the region. The move strengthens the firm’s positioning as one of a kind legal resource for foreign investors seeking clarity, compliance, and structured market entry within the UAE.

The United Arab Emirates has rapidly evolved into a leading destination for global business and foreign capital. According to recent government and industry reports, the UAE continues to rank among the top global destinations for foreign direct investment inflows, driven by continuous legal and regulatory modernization. ABA Legal observes that legal clarity, regulatory certainty, and structural reforms are increasingly central to investor decision-making, with businesses placing greater emphasis on well-defined legal pathways, ownership structures, and enforceability before committing capital to new markets.

Commenting on the evolving landscape, Ms. Geethalakshmi Ramachandran, Managing Counsel at ABA Legal, said “The UAE’s legal framework today is not only progressive but highly responsive to global investor expectations. The shift toward full foreign ownership, stronger dispute resolution systems, governance reforms, and IP protection has significantly enhanced legal certainty. At ABA Legal, our core service now is guiding foreign investors through these reforms with clarity and precision, ensuring they can structure, enter, and operate in the UAE market with confidence and long-term security. We aim to become the Legal Mentors for FDIs and Investors UAE interest”

A New Era of Legal Reform

The UAE has entered a new era of legal reform designed to strengthen transparency, predictability, and investor confidence across its commercial ecosystem. One of the most significant developments has been the overhaul of foreign ownership regulations. Sectors that previously required majority UAE national ownership have been widely liberalized, enabling 100% foreign ownership across a growing range of industries, including technology, manufacturing, and professional services. From a legal standpoint, this marks a structural realignment of the corporate framework, giving investors greater control over governance and operations while reducing compliance ambiguity and intermediary dependence. The reforms align the UAE with global best practices and reinforce its appeal for long-term, high-value investment.

Strengthening Contract Enforcement and Dispute Resolution

Investor confidence is closely tied to enforceability and legal certainty. The UAE has modernized commercial laws and strengthened dispute resolution mechanisms to create a secure environment for international business. Specialized courts operating under internationally recognized standards and common law principles, alongside stronger integration with global arbitration systems, ensure disputes are resolved efficiently and impartially. This protects contractual rights, lowers legal risk, and supports long-term cross-border investment strategies.

Governance, Transparency, and Investor Protection

Governance, transparency, and investor protection have also been enhanced through stricter corporate reporting, anti-money laundering, and financial compliance frameworks. These measures reduce regulatory uncertainty and strengthen market credibility by embedding internationally recognized standards into law. Investors benefit from a more stable, accountable, and transparent operating environment.

Free Zones: Tailored Legal Advantages: Free zones continue to play a central role in the UAE’s foreign investment strategy, offering tailored legal and regulatory advantages such as full foreign ownership, capital repatriation, customs exemptions, and flexible employment and residency structures. Designed around priority sectors, these zones combine flexibility with legal certainty and reduced administrative burden.

Modern Commercial Laws, Digital Economy Support, and IP Protection

Recent updates to commercial company regulations, data protection laws, and intellectual property protections further support digital economy and innovation-driven businesses. Together, these reforms create a resilient and adaptable legal ecosystem that not only attracts foreign capital but enables sustainable, knowledge-based growth; with ABA Legal supporting investors through structured legal guidance in this evolving framework.

For global investors seeking stability, transparency, and strategic opportunity, the UAE’s legal framework is more than supportive, it is a dynamic engine for capital inflow, innovation, and knowledge-based economic development, with ABA Legal serving as a strategic legal mentor in this journey.

The post ABA Legal Highlights UAE’s Legal Framework as Catalyst for the Next Wave of Foreign Investment appeared first on The Integrator.

Preeti Peter, student – BCom ACCA – MAHE Dubai

Advanced Financial Management is a paper that separates theoretical knowledge from applied thinking. It tests your ability to make strategic decisions under uncertainty, weighs competing risks in real time, and defends your reasoning when there is not one right answer. The pass rates reflect that difficulty. When I sat for the exam, World Rank 1 was never the target, surviving the paper with credibility was. I scored 96 out of 100. But the number, on its own, tells you very little. What matters is what the journey demanded: a complete rewiring of how I approached preparation, pressure, and failure.

Treating preparation like a financial model

Early on, I made a decision that changed everything: I would stop following a generic study plan. Instead, I approached my preparation the way an analyst might approach a sensitivity analysis. I tested variables by studying at different times of the day, experimenting with visual mapping versus deep reading. Each iteration helped me identify what produced the best results for my learning style.

This was about precision, not volume. In finance, we talk about capital allocation, where you deploy resources matters more than the sheer amount available. I applied the same logic to my time. High-yield areas got the most attention. Weak spots got targeted effort. Comfortable topics got less.

Strategy is not a luxury reserved for boardrooms. It belongs in every decision you make.

The negative cash flow phase

There is a phase in every long-term project, financial or otherwise, where the output does not match the input. In corporate finance, we call this negative cash flow. You are investing, and the returns have not materialised yet.

My first few weeks of AFM preparation felt exactly like that. I was putting in the hours, but comprehension was patchy. It would have been easy to panic or abandon ship for a different approach.

Instead, I recognised the phase for what it was: temporary. Every business that reaches breakeven has survived this stage first. I leaned into discomfort, trusted the process, and kept showing up. Slowly, the fog lifted.

That early patience was critical. If I had changed course every time results lagged behind effort, I would never have built the understanding that carried me through the exam.

Discipline over motivation

There is a popular idea that success comes from being motivated. I found the opposite to be true. Motivation is unreliable, it fluctuates with your mood, your energy, a difficult question that throws you off balance.

What carried me was routine. I built a daily structure that operated regardless of how I felt on any given morning. Good days and bad days received the same treatment: sit down, open the material, work through the plan.

During my time at Manipal Academy of Higher Education Dubai, I learned to value consistency over intensity. Resilience, I realised, is not about gritting your teeth and pushing through pain. It is about designing a process robust enough to function even when you are running on empty.

Confronting discomfort deliberately

One of the more counterintuitive lessons AFM taught me was about comfort zones. When preparing for a high-stakes exam, there is a strong temptation to practise what you already understand. You move through questions quickly, confidence builds, and the work feels rewarding.

But that feeling is misleading. The topics I avoided, the ones that made me uneasy, the questions I got wrong repeatedly were precisely where the growth was. I started restructuring my study sessions to front-load the most difficult material. If a topic made me uncomfortable, it went to the top of the list.

Over time, those uncomfortable sessions became the foundation of my exam performance. The questions that would have caught me off guard were the ones I was most prepared for.

Managing pressure, not just content

I remember finishing a mock exam and feeling genuinely defeated. The time pressure had overwhelmed me. I knew the material but knowing the material and performing under timed conditions are two very different skills.

That experience changed my approach. I began treating exam technique as its own discipline, separate from subject knowledge. I practised under strict time limits and developed a method for approaching unfamiliar questions: pause, outline, then write.

On exam day, there were moments where questions looked unfamiliar at first glance. Instead of panicking, I paused, outlined a structure, and worked through each part methodically. I finished on time, with every question addressed.

The real lesson: stress does not disappear because you have prepared well. You simply get better at functioning within it.

Feedback as fuel

A score of 96 percent might suggest a clean, linear path to the top. The reality was messier. Mock results were humbling. Feedback on practice answers was sometimes blunt.

But I made a conscious decision early on, I would treat every piece of critical feedback as information, not as judgement. If a mock answer missed the mark, I wanted to understand why so, to close the gap between where I was and where I needed to be.

That openness to correction was, I believe, one of the most important factors in my result. The students who improve fastest are rarely the most talented. They are the ones willing to be told they are wrong and to adjust accordingly.

Beyond the exam

World Rank 1 was a rewarding outcome. But the rank is a snapshot, a single data point from a single day.

Structured thinking. Disciplined preparation. The ability to remain calm when the stakes are high. A willingness to sit with discomfort rather than avoid it. These are not exam skills. They are life skills.

AFM taught me that risk is not something to fear. It is something to understand, to price, and to manage. That principle holds whether you are valuing a derivative or deciding how to spend your next hour. The same applies to every challenge worth pursuing.

The post RISK, RESILIENCE AND A 96 PERCENT: WHAT ACCA’S TOUGHEST PAPER TAUGHT ME ABOUT STRATEGY appeared first on The Integrator.

Abu Dhabi–based businessman and philanthropist Asif Aziz, Founder of Criterion Capital, continues to set the benchmark for large-scale public programming as his landmark Ramadan Lights London initiative returns for a spectacular fourth edition.

Having launched Western Europe’s first-ever aerial Ramadan lights in 2023, Aziz has permanently reshaped the cultural landscape of London. What began as a groundbreaking concept has since evolved into a globally-recognised, free, annual celebration delivered for civic good, placing the values of Ramadan at the heart of one of the world’s most influential cities.

Delivered through Aziz’s charity, The Aziz Foundation (Registered Charity: 1169558), Ramadan Lights London demonstrates values-led leadership at scale, showing how faith, culture and community can intersect to create lasting social impact.

At the heart of the programme is the flagship aerial lights display along Coventry Street: a pioneering installation of more than 30,000 sustainable LED lights arranged in intricate geometric patterns inspired by Islamic art, with motifs representing suhoor and iftar.

The 2026 programme will open with a high-profile switch-on ceremony, with the lights activated by Sir Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, Rahima Aziz BEM, Trustee at The Aziz Foundation, and Adil Ray OBE, actor and broadcaster, in the presence of senior public leaders, distinguished cultural figures, ambassadors and international dignitaries. The display will remain illuminated until 18th March 2026, before transitioning to Eid Lights through to 24th March 2026.

A selection of artworks featured in Shared Light – central London’s first interfaith art exhibition. Left: Rooh-e-Bhag (Soul of the Garden) (2025) by Mohamad Aaqib Anvarmia. Centre: Hospitality of Abraham – After Rublev (2025) by Meg Wroe. Right: Mettavihari (2025) by Colin Panrucker

This year will also see the launch of Shared Light – central London’s first interfaith Ramadan art exhibition – bringing together artists of all faiths and backgrounds whose work is inspired by the values of Ramadan. The exhibition will be unveiled by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Westminster and hosted at Aziz’s Zedwell hotel at Piccadilly Circus, reinforcing culture’s role as a bridge between communities in one of the world’s most iconic city centres.

Ramadan Lights London will also welcome back Ramadan Delights, London’s first curated iftar food trail, introduced by Aziz in 2025 and now firmly established as a district-wide West End experience. The trail brings together leading international brands and heritage institutions – including Fortnum & Mason, 1 Leicester Square Rooftop, PizzaExpress and Shake Shack- offering special menus, exclusive offers and halal-friendly dining while supporting local businesses and the economic vitality of the area.

This year, the initiative is further strengthened through a partnership with Centrepoint, the UK’s leading youth homelessness charity, reflecting a shared commitment to social mobility, economic empowerment and supporting disadvantaged young people.

Commenting on the programme, Asif Aziz said: “Ramadan Lights London reflects how the values of Ramadan – generosity, reflection and empathy – can contribute meaningfully to civic life. It is about thoughtful engagement and creating shared experiences that strengthen communities and endure over time.”

Beyond Ramadan Lights London, Aziz’s wider philanthropic work continues to deliver impact. Since 2015, The Aziz Foundation has awarded over 750 scholarships, supported more than 100 media internships, and delivered extensive mentorship programmes across key industries. Aziz is also leading the regeneration of Criterion Capital’s Grade II-listed London Trocadero, transforming the landmark into a 1,000-capacity mosque and community centre – a long-term investment in cultural and faith infrastructure in a major global city.

Alongside his charitable endeavours, Aziz is establishing a scalable, world-class co-investment platform in Abu Dhabi, working with UAE institutions to deploy capital into transformative urban and living-sector opportunities across Europe and the Middle East, with a continued focus on sustainable social outcomes.

The post Abu Dhabi-Based Asif Aziz Will Illuminate London’s West End with Ramadan Lights for Fourth Year, Expanding Global Cultural Impact appeared first on The Integrator.

As geopolitical tensions, de-globalisation, and economic uncertainty reshape global capital flows, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is consolidating its position as one of the world’s most trusted and resilient financial gateways, according to a new report by Emerging Markets Intelligence & Research (EMIR), supported by Qashio.

The report, ‘Mapping the UAE’s Role as a Global Financial Gateway’, highlights how the UAE is attracting high levels of foreign direct investment and financial activity at a time when capital is retreating from many traditional markets.

Foreign direct investment into the UAE doubled to $40 billion (between 2019 and 2024), reaching record levels even as global FDI stagnated. In 2024, FDI accounted for 40% of the UAE’s gross capital formation, compared to just 4.3% across developed economies, underscoring the country’s growing role as a destination for long-term, trust-led capital.

The scale of activity is accelerating rapidly. The UAE recorded 1,362 FDI projects in 2024, representing a 350% increase since 2020, while assets under management in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) reached $700 billion, growing 58% year-on-year.

According to the report, the UAE’s ability to benefit from global realignment is closely linked to its neutrality, regulatory clarity, and institutional agility.

“The UAE is actually benefiting from the de-globalisation and the geopolitical reorientation of major power blocks. It doesn’t have adversaries, so is able to build economic ties with everyone. The speed with which the government has been able to adapt to and anticipate the new situation is remarkable,” the report notes.

Beyond capital inflows, the research also points to the UAE’s expanding role as a transaction and payments hub, supported by modern financial infrastructure, strong compliance frameworks, and growing confidence among global businesses managing cross-border activity from the region.

From Qashio’s perspective, the UAE’s rise as a financial gateway reinforces the importance of secure, transparent, and compliant financial operations for businesses operating in an increasingly complex global environment.

“As capital flows become more fragmented and regulated, trust and control are no longer optional — they are foundational,” said Armin Moradi, Founder and CEO of Qashio. “Businesses operating from the UAE need full visibility over spending, strong compliance with Central Bank guidance, and the ability to act on financial insights in real time. This report reflects why the UAE has earned global confidence — and how organisations can operate responsibly within that ecosystem.”

The findings position the UAE not only as a safe destination for capital, but as a jurisdiction capable of supporting long-term growth across finance, trade, technology, and digital assets — at a time when global businesses are reassessing where and how they deploy resources.

To learn more about how the UAE is consolidating its role as a trusted global financial gateway and what this means for businesses navigating today’s fragmented capital landscape download the full report here.

The post UAE ATTRACTS $40BN IN FDI AMID GLOBAL UNCERTAINTY, NEW REPORT SUPPORTED BY QASHIO REVEALS appeared first on The Integrator.

Dhruva, a tax advisory firm with deep expertise across the Middle East, and global markets, stated that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is at a clear inflection point in its fiscal evolution. Transfer pricing is moving beyond first-wave rulemaking into an enforcement-led environment where it is increasingly treated as a core element of corporate governance.

Drawing on the UAE Year in Review 2025 report recently launched by Dhruva, the region is moving past inaugural filing seasons and confronting the limits of reactive, post-facto compliance. “The past year has been transformative, representing not merely technical adjustments but a strategic recalibration of the region’s economic architecture,” said Nimish Goel, Leader, Middle East at Dhruva. In this environment, the behavioral reality of a business must align with its legal documentation, as tax authorities raise expectations around demonstrable economic substance.

A central theme in this scrutiny is Key Management Personnel (KMP). Where decision-making occurs, who exercises control, and how governance is evidenced are becoming determinative factors in how profits are attributed and defended. Inconsistencies across HR contracts, organization charts, board minutes, operational reality, and transfer pricing files are increasingly treated as a credibility gap, not a documentation error.

This recalibration is being accelerated by a shift in audit approach. Tax authorities across the GCC are moving from form-based reviews to more sophisticated, data-led scrutiny. Kapil Bhatnagar, Partner at Dhruva, stated that, “A key focus is the ‘invisible backbone’ of many regional groups, common-control and related-party transactions that sit at the heart of multilayered conglomerate structures. Informal arrangements historically treated as low-risk are increasingly being evaluated through an arm’s length lens, including interest-free shareholder loans, uncharged centralized services, legacy intercompany balances, and balance-sheet support. For forward-looking organisations, transfer pricing is no longer a compliance obligation but a strategic enabler.”

In parallel, the UAE has signaled stricter arm’s length expectations for Qualifying Free Zone Persons, with transfer pricing increasingly functioning as the mechanism through which substance is demonstrated under the Corporate Tax regime.

The stakes are further elevated by Pillar Two global minimum tax developments. Effective 2025, most GCC jurisdictions, including the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain, either implemented or were in the final stages of implementing Domestic Minimum Top-up Taxes (DMTT). Under these rules, intercompany pricing can no longer be treated purely as a compliance variable, since it can materially influence a group’s effective tax rate and potential top-up exposure.

“In response, leading groups are shifting toward operational transfer pricing, embedding pricing policies into ERP workflows to improve year-round accuracy, data integrity, and audit readiness. This is increasingly relevant as audits begin to rely more heavily on data analytics, ERP trails, and transaction-level evidence, with deeper linkage expected between transfer pricing documentation, financial statements, tax returns, and support evidence,” added Kapil.

At the same time, demand is rising for certainty and dispute-prevention mechanisms, including Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) and Mutual Agreement Procedures (MAPs), particularly for complex cross-border arrangements where predictability is commercially valuable. The UAE has already established a formal framework for clarifications and directives including APAs, confirmed unilateral APA applications from Q4 2025, and introduced a schedule of APA fees effective from January 1, 2026.

As the region moves into its next phase of maturity, Kapil concluded, “The message is clear, the era of fixing and filing is over. The era of governance, digitization, and transparency has begun.”

The post GCC TRANSFER PRICING TIGHTENS IN 2026 AS ENFORCEMENT MATURES appeared first on The Integrator.

Dhruva, a premier tax advisory firm with deep expertise across the Middle East, India, and Asia, stated that the UAE’s latest amendments to the VAT Law and the Tax Procedures Law, issued by the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) which are effective from 1 January 2026, represent a significant shift toward a more structured, and risk-focused tax environment. These amendments are expected to reinforce responsible compliance behaviors and reduce administrative friction for UAE businesses.

Dhruva noted that one of the most practical and welcoming changes is that it eliminates the requirement for taxpayers to self-issue tax invoices for imports subject to the reverse charge mechanism, which provides a lot of ease to businesses. Post series of amendments and clarifications issued by the FTA in 2025 in relation to self-issuance of tax invoices for imports, while a general exception was granted for such requirement for import of services, the same were required in case of import of goods for record-keeping purposes.  This often-added administrative complexity without impacting the actual tax liability or input tax entitlement. Under the updated rules, taxable businesses have removed the obligation entirely, and hence, businesses will only need to maintain standard supporting documentation, such as invoices, contracts, and transaction records.

However, the firm highlighted that while some administrative burdens are being eased, compliance expectations are tightening elsewhere.  One of the amendments gives the FTA authority to deny input tax recovery in cases linked to tax evasion – where a taxpayer knew or, critically, should have known, that a supply or its broader supply chain was connected to tax evasion.  The law clarifies that taxpayers will be deemed to have been aware if they fail to verify the validity and integrity of the supply in accordance with procedures to be issued by the FTA.

Dhruva explained that historically, the responsibility to account for VAT rested primarily with the supplier, and recipients focused mainly on validating the tax invoice and meeting standard input-tax recovery conditions. In practice, however, the FTA has often linked a recipient’s input-tax eligibility to the supplier’s discharge of output VAT, denying recovery where gaps existed. The latest amendment now formally embeds this position in law, imposing additional due-diligence obligations on the recipient.

Ujjwal Pawra, Partner at Dhruva Consultants, commented, “This is a significant change. It is a clear message that the right to input tax recovery comes with the responsibility to validate the integrity of one’s suppliers and supply chain. Businesses must now demonstrate that they exercised practical, documented, and consistent due diligence. Clean invoices alone are no longer enough; what matters is a clean process.”

While the procedures and conditions are awaited, Dhruva advised that companies reassess onboarding procedures, supplier-vetting protocols, and documentation trails to ensure they align with the FTA’s expected standards. 

Another material operational change is the introduction of a defined timeframe to act on credit balances. Under the amended framework, businesses will generally have up to five years from the end of the relevant tax period to request a refund of a credit balance or use that balance to settle tax liabilities, with targeted flexibility in specified cases where credits arise late in the cycle.

Transitional relief is also available for certain older credits around the changeover, which can help businesses address legacy positions in an orderly way. Dhruva said these changes reduce the risk of credits remaining unresolved on the balance sheet, improve cash flow planning, and encourage clearer internal ownership of refund positions.

Ujjwal further added, “The UAE has introduced a more robust operating framework for credit balances and refunds in line with international best practices. The message is simple: know your credits, map the deadlines, and file claims that are clear, complete, consistent, and easy to validate.”

Dhruva advised UAE businesses to act now with a finance-led approach. This starts with building a central credit-balance register by tax type and tax period, assigning an accountable owner, and tracking action dates so credits are either utilised or claimed in time. Businesses should also treat refund submissions as audit-ready files by preparing reconciliations, supporting documents, and a concise explanation of how the credit arose and why the amount is correct before submitting, rather than rebuilding the file after queries begin. In parallel, companies should prioritise older credit positions to assess whether they fall within the transitional relief window and avoid last-minute filings.

The firm also advised businesses to monitor any binding directions issued by the FTA and align their tax positions, documentation, and system settings accordingly to minimize interpretational differences and strengthen consistency over time.

The post UAE MOVES TOWARDS A MORE COMPLIANCE-FOCUSED TAX LANDSCAPE WITH RECENT VAT REFORMS: DHRUVA appeared first on The Integrator.

The festive season is one of the busiest periods of the year for UAE travelers. From year end getaways and family visits, to overseas shopping and digital gifting, consumers increasingly rely on contactless cards and mobile wallets to make payments quickly and conveniently.

Beyond higher spending, the festive season also acts as a real stress test for digital payment ecosystems. Transaction volumes peak, payment environments become less familiar, and consumers move rapidly across borders. This combination of factors increases exposure to fraud if the right safeguards are not in place. As digital payments scale, security becomes a critical enabler of trust.

According to IDEMIA Secure Transactions’ latest Global Consumer Payment Survey, which included UAE respondents aged 18 to 71, more than 8 in ten consumers have already adopted digital cards with biometric features, while 92 percent express interest in numberless cards. These figures reflect a growing expectation for payment experiences that combine speed, simplicity, and security.

With contactless payments now accounting for 84 percent of face-to-face transactions in the UAE and mobile wallet usage surpassing 50 percent, the festive season is a critical moment for travelers to reassess how they protect their finances while on the move.

1. Avoid Public Wi-Fi for Payment Activity

Festive travel often means relying on airport or hotel Wi-Fi, but unsecured networks remain a common entry point for cybercriminals. Accessing banking apps or making purchases over public Wi-Fi can expose sensitive information at interception. Travelers should use mobile data or a trusted VPN when handling financial transactions. A few moments of convenience are never worth the risk of compromised financial data, especially during peak travel periods.

2. Use Secure Digital Payment Solutions

Not all payment tools offer the same level of protection. Today, tokenization has become a global industry standard for securing digital transactions, replacing sensitive card details with unique digital tokens that are useless if intercepted. Mobile wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay already rely on this technology.

Beyond protecting data in transit, tokenization also limits exposure in the event of merchant-side data breaches, as real card numbers are never stored or shared. Tokens are typically device-specific and transaction-bound, adding an additional layer of protection even if credentials are compromised elsewhere.

IDEMIA Secure Transactions plays a key role in enabling tokenized payments at scale, supporting secure transactions across in-store, online and in-app environments through its EMVCo-certified Token Platform. Digital co-badged cards offer global compatibility without sacrificing local functionality. By ensuring that real card numbers are never shared, tokenization significantly reduces fraud risk while preserving a smooth user experience. In addition, digital wallets can be remotely suspended if a device is lost or stolen, offering travelers greater control and peace of mind while abroad.

3. Decline Dynamic Currency Conversion

While shopping abroad during the festive season, merchants often offer travelers the option to pay in AED. This practice, known as dynamic currency conversion, typically includes hidden markups and unfavorable exchange rates. Paying in the local currency allows banks to apply more transparent conversion rates, helping consumers avoid unnecessary costs. This simple choice can make a meaningful difference for frequent travelers and international shoppers alike.

Another possibility for travelers is to use the Tap to Phone technology provided by some banks and supported by IST. Instead of having to switch cards across borders, it enables the travelers to modify their card features, such as credit/debit options and the currency used for transactions, with a simple tap on a smartphone via their banking app. This simple habit can save money and ensure better financial clarity while greatly facilitating international card usage.

4. Enable Real Time Alerts and Card Controls

With spending increasing during the festive period, real time monitoring is essential. Many UAE banks and fintech platforms offer instant transaction alerts, spending limits and location-based restrictions that allow consumers to monitor activity as it happens.

Crucially, modern security no longer has to come at the expense of convenience. These tools enhance protection while maintaining the fast, frictionless payment experiences that consumers expect, particularly in a market where one-click and contactless payments are widely adopted. This aligns with consumer expectations, as 96 percent of UAE users prefer simplified one click payment experiences. Real time controls enhance security without adding friction.

5. Secure Devices Before You Travel

Smartphones now function as wallets, boarding passes and identity tools. Before travelling, users should update device software, enable biometric authentication and avoid storing sensitive information in unsecured apps. Travelers should also activate remote lock and wipe functionality, ensure cloud backups are enabled, and avoid carrying all payment methods on a single device. Keeping at least one physical card separate from the phone provides an important fallback. While digital wallets rely on encrypted token technology, 29 percent of surveyed users still express concerns about digital card security, and 43 percent do not fully understand how these tools work. Basic preparation can significantly reduce risk and soothe concerns.

As UAE card payments are expected to reach USD 150 billion this year, the festive season highlights the need for secure and user-friendly payment infrastructure. By adopting the right tools and habits, travelers can focus on celebrating rather than dealing with fraud.

For the payments industry, the challenge is clear: security must be built into every transaction in a way that protects users without disrupting their experience. When trust is embedded seamlessly, travelers are free to enjoy the moments that matter most, wherever their journey takes them.

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