The Securities and Commodities Authority and the Dubai World Trade Centre Authority signed a deal to support trading of crypto assets within the Dubai free zone. Photo: DWTCA
The Securities and Commodities Authority and the Dubai World Trade Centre Authority signed a deal to support trading of crypto assets within the Dubai free zone. Photo: DWTCA
The Securities and Commodities Authority and the Dubai World Trade Centre Authority signed a deal to support trading of crypto assets within the Dubai free zone. Photo: DWTCA
The Securities and Commodities Authority and the Dubai World Trade Centre Authority signed a deal to support trading of crypto assets within the Dubai free zone. Photo: DWTCA

SCA and DWTCA sign deal for trading of crypto assets in Dubai World Trade Centre free zone


Shweta Jain
  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE Securities and Commodities Authority signed a deal with the Dubai World Trade Centre Authority to support trading of crypto assets in the free zone as the UAE continues to develop its digital economy.

The agreement will allow the DWTCA to issue approvals and licences for crypto asset-related financial activities, the Dubai authority said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The SCA will be responsible for the regulatory supervision of offering, issuing, trading and listing crypto assets and the licensing of financial activities related to them within the limits of the DWTCA free zone,” Maryam Al Suwaidi, acting chief executive of the SCA, said.

The SCA will support and inspect the licensed entities that operate within the free zone, said Helal Saeed Almarri, director general of the DWTCA. It will also carry out any investigations required.

“Our agreement with the Securities and Commodities Authority will allow [the] DWTCA to broaden its regulatory, licences and services capabilities, in addition to extending the centralised supervision of the crypto market to our free zone,” Mr Almarri said.

The SCA, which is responsible for monitoring and regulating the UAE’s financial markets, aims to build a sustainable investment environment and safeguard the rights of investors, promote sound practices and create a framework to attract capital using innovative systems.

The DWTCA said it is looking at blockchain and cryptographic technology companies to set up base in the free zone to support the UAE push towards a digital economic transformation.

The digital economy contributes about Dh100 billion ($27.25bn) and accounts for 4.3 per cent of the UAE's gross domestic product.

There are more than 1,400 start-ups in the country with a total estimated value of Dh90bn. More than 90 investment funds and 12 business incubators are also supporting the country's digital sector, according to government data.

“With the rise of new technologies such as non-fungible tokens set to play an important role in the future of commerce, the DWTCA is pursuing ways to offer a sustainable home for this ecosystem,” Mr Almarri said.

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British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
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Started: January 2019

Co-founders: Joe Moufarrej and Umar Rana

Based: Dubai

Sector: Technology, real-estate

Initial investment: Dh2.5 million

Investors: Self-funded

Total customers: 4,000

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Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day

Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour

Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour

Best vacation: Returning home to China

Music interests: Enjoys playing the zheng, a string musical instrument

Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes

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Match info

Uefa Champions League Group H

Manchester United v Young Boys, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)

Results

Men's finals

45kg:Duc Le Hoang (VIE) beat Zolfi Amirhossein (IRI) points 29-28. 48kg: Naruephon Chittra (THA) beat Joseph Vanlalhruaia (IND) TKO round 2.

51kg: Sakchai Chamchit (THA) beat Salam Al Suwaid (IRQ) TKO round 1. ​​​​​​​54kg: Veerasak Senanue (THA) beat Huynh Hoang Phi (VIE) 30-25.

57kg: Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Tak Chuen Suen (MAC) RSC round 3. 60kg: Yerkanat Ospan (KAZ) beat Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) 30-27.

63.5kg: Abil Galiyev (KAZ) beat Nouredine Samir (UAE) 29-28. 67kg: Narin Wonglakhon (THA) beat Mohammed Mardi (UAE) 29-28.

71kg: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) w/o Shaker Al Tekreeti (IRQ). 75kg:​​​​​​​ Youssef Abboud (LBN) w/o Ayoob Saki (IRI).

81kg: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Khaled Tarraf (LBN) 29-28. 86kg: Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Emil Umayev (KAZ) 30-27.

91kg: Hamid Reza Kordabadi (IRI) beat Mohamad Osaily (LBN) RSC round 1. 91-plus kg: Mohammadrezapoor Shirmohammad (IRI) beat Abdulla Hasan (IRQ) 30-27.

Women's finals

45kg: Somruethai Siripathum (THA) beat Ha Huu Huynh (VIE) 30-27. 48kg: Thanawan Thongduang (THA) beat Colleen Saddi (PHI) 30-27.

51kg: Wansawang Srila Or (THA) beat Thuy Phuong Trieu (VIE) 29-28. 54kg: Ruchira Wongsriwo (THA) beat Zeinab Khatoun (LBN) 30-26.

57kg: Sara Idriss (LBN) beat Zahra Nasiri Bargh (IRI) 30-27. 60kg: Kaewrudee Kamtakrapoom (THA) beat Sedigheh Hajivand (IRI) TKO round 2.

63.5kg: Nadiya Moghaddam (IRI) w/o Reem Al Issa (JOR).

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Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.

“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.

“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.

“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.

“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.

“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”

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4pm Maratha Arabians v Northern Warriors

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Twelve books were longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The non-fiction works cover various themes from education, gender bias, and the environment to surveillance and political power. Some of the books that made it to the non-fiction longlist include: 

  • Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

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Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S

Rating: 3/5

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- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France

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Updated: September 22, 2021, 11:13 AM