CBUAE is the Central Bank of the UAE, the federal regulator of banks, exchange houses, payment systems, and (since 2020) insurance — after absorbing the former Insurance Authority.
What it does
CBUAE licenses every onshore UAE bank, regulates the dirham peg to the US dollar (3.6725), runs the national payment infrastructure, sets prudential and consumer-protection rules for banks and insurers, and enforces AML/CFT compliance. CBUAE rules cap personal loans at 20× monthly salary, set the 50% Debt Burden Ratio, and control financial promotion (which is why UAE financial editorial cannot use "best bank" superlatives about CBUAE-licensed banks).
Key facts
| Type | Federal central bank and regulator |
| Jurisdiction | UAE (banking, exchange houses, payments, insurance since 2020) |
| AED–USD peg | 3.6725 (since 1997) |
| Consumer Protection Regulation | CBUAE Consumer Protection Standards (2021) |
| DIFC carve-out | DFSA regulates DIFC; FSRA regulates ADGM |
| Official portal | centralbank.ae |
