UAE Exchange House Regulatory Calendar 2026

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Running a licensed exchange house in the UAE now means operating under intense regulatory scrutiny, especially around AML/CFT, conduct risk and consumer protection. A clear 2026 regulatory obligations calendar helps compliance, finance and operations teams plan ahead, avoid last‑minute firefighting and reduce the risk of costly enforcement action.

The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) expects exchange houses to demonstrate robust governance, timely reporting and strong internal controls as part of its risk‑based supervision of this high‑risk sector. Structuring your year around key monthly, quarterly and annual deadlines is now a strategic necessity rather than a nice‑to‑have.

What the 2026 obligations calendar covers

The 2026 exchange house regulatory obligations calendar is designed to give a month‑by‑month view of all key submissions to CBUAE, your Board and senior management. It consolidates prudential reporting, remittance reporting, consumer protection, AML/CFT and audit‑related tasks into a single, practical reference for your teams.

For each month, you can see what needs to be submitted, to whom, and by which deadline, along with recurring tasks such as complaint analysis, fraud reporting and internal reviews. This reduces dependency on scattered notices and helps new staff quickly understand the organisation’s regulatory rhythm.

Monthly reporting and remittance data

Most exchange houses are subject to intensive monthly reporting, including core financial returns and detailed remittance data through the Central Bank’s Remittance Reporting System (RRS). Typical items include statements of assets and liabilities, income statements and a range of ERF forms covering currency sales, receivables, payables and open positions.

Daily remittance data uploads (including CAD file reporting where applicable) run throughout the year and are critical to CBUAE’s monitoring of cross‑border flows and AML/CFT risks. Missing or inaccurate submissions can trigger follow‑up queries, inspections or, in serious cases, administrative sanctions and fines.

Consumer protection and complaint management

Consumer protection and conduct risk management are now central pillars of CBUAE supervision for exchange houses. The calendar highlights monthly deadlines for uploading customer complaint data to the Central Bank’s complaint management system (CMS), along with trend analysis and root‑cause assessments that must be shared with senior management.

Licensed financial institutions are also required to submit annual consumer protection and conduct risk reports to their Boards, including an evaluation of compliance culture and improvement recommendations. These insights support better product governance, clearer disclosure of fees and stronger fair‑treatment outcomes for retail customers. 

AML/CFT, fraud and board reporting

AML/CFT obligations feature prominently, with semi‑annual MLRO reports, external auditor agreed‑upon procedures on AML/CFT, and periodic fraud trend reporting built into the 2026 calendar. Exchange houses must provide summaries of significant fraud incidents, attempted frauds and the preventive measures taken, typically with an annual consolidation by 31 January.

The calendar also maps out Board‑level touchpoints such as semi‑annual compliance reports, annual compliance attestation letters and the request for no‑objection to appoint external auditors, which must be submitted to CBUAE by the specified May deadline. Aligning these items with Board and committee agendas ensures effective oversight and clear evidence of governance in any regulatory inspection.

Why your exchange house needs a regulatory calendar

Using a structured regulatory obligations calendar helps prevent missed deadlines, duplicated efforts and siloed ownership of key compliance processes. It allows compliance, risk, finance and operations teams to coordinate resources, automate recurring submissions and track status against regulatory expectations in real time.

In a landscape where the Central Bank actively enforces AML/CFT and consumer protection rules, a living 2026 calendar becomes both a risk‑management tool and a practical project plan for staying ahead of inspections and thematic reviews. It also supports better onboarding of new staff, ensuring institutional knowledge of regulatory obligations is documented and widely understood.