DIFC and DIEZ firms added to gov’t support list: The Dubai Financial Services Authority is rolling out a set of support measures for Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) firms, just as the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) is introducing similar measures for freezone companies.

For DIFC firms, the temporary measures include timeline flexibility for authorization, licensing, and administrative requirements, relaxed staffing rules when it comes to remote work, and extended deadlines for regulatory reporting, provided the postponement doesn’t interfere with regulatory outcomes.

Over in DIEZ, firms operating in Dubai Airport Freezone, Dubai Silicon Oasis, and Dubai CommerCity will see their rental rates stabilized when they go to renew contracts and will also be able to spread rent payment across monthly installments.

DIEZ is also waiving certain administrative fees — for example, those for late license renewals — and allowing others, including for company restructuring, shareholder amendments, and capital amendments, to be deferred for three months.

REMEMBER- We’ve been seeing a wider wave of government interventions during the conflict: Dubai approved a AED 1 bn stimulus package in late March for the private sector, while Abu Dhabi is offering tax rebates for hospitality upgrades in Al Ain. The Central Bank of the UAE also injected AED 31 bn into the domestic banking system to boost liquidity and rolled out a resilience package.

Shaken investor confidence and sentiment could take longer to offset: Analysts have recently told us that reviving the UAE’s safe haven status would likely take some time. However, many are confident the UAE, with its investment hub reputation, would emerge from the conflict intact.

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