Question 1

What telecoms and tech work do you handle in the UAE?

Accepted Answer

We advise on TDRA licensing for telecoms operators and value-added services, network sharing and infrastructure agreements, cloud and SaaS contracting (procurement and supply), cyber-security and incident response, data protection (PDPL and DIFC/ADGM regimes), blockchain and crypto regulatory matters (VARA, ADGM-FSRA, DIFC-DFSA), e-commerce and digital-platform compliance, software licensing and SaaS contracts, and the corporate work of telecoms and tech companies including M&A and joint ventures. Our clients range from licensed UAE operators to multinational technology firms entering the UAE market.

Question 2

Who regulates telecoms in the UAE?

Accepted Answer

The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) is the federal regulator of UAE telecoms, internet and digital-government services. The TDRA licenses operators, manages spectrum, sets technical and consumer-protection standards, and supervises digital-government initiatives. Crypto and virtual assets are regulated by VARA in Dubai, FSRA in ADGM, and DFSA in DIFC. The federal Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL, Federal Decree-Law 45 of 2021) provides the data-protection backbone, supplemented by the DIFC and ADGM data-protection regimes for entities domiciled in those jurisdictions.

Question 3

How does UAE data-protection law work in practice?

Accepted Answer

The UAE has three overlapping data-protection regimes: the federal PDPL (administered by the UAE Data Office); the DIFC Data Protection Law 2020 (administered by the DIFC Commissioner of Data Protection); and the ADGM Data Protection Regulations 2021 (administered by the ADGM Office of Data Protection). The DIFC and ADGM regimes are GDPR-aligned and recognised by the European Commission as offering adequate protection. The federal PDPL applies more broadly across onshore entities. Most multinational clients structure their UAE data flows around DIFC or ADGM-domiciled controllers to take advantage of GDPR alignment.

Question 4

Do you advise on crypto and virtual asset regulation?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The UAE has emerged as one of the most clearly regulated crypto jurisdictions globally, with three regulators operating in parallel: VARA (Dubai), FSRA (ADGM) and DFSA (DIFC). We advise on licensing applications across all three, on the structuring of crypto trading venues, custody providers, payment-token issuers, and DeFi-related platforms, and on the AML/CFT, market-conduct and prudential requirements applicable to each licence category. We also advise on enforcement and investigation matters, which are increasingly active across the regulators.

Question 5

Can you advise on cloud-services contracting?

Accepted Answer

Yes. UAE cloud contracting now sits at the intersection of telecoms regulation, data protection, sectoral rules (notably for banks and healthcare) and the public-sector Cloud Strategy. We advise enterprise customers (especially regulated financial institutions and healthcare operators) on cloud-procurement contracting, data-residency and exit assistance, and we advise hyperscale cloud providers on the standardisation of UAE-specific terms. Most-negotiated terms are: data location and segregation; sub-processor controls; security incident notification; service-level credits and exit-assistance scope; and, for regulated customers, regulator-access and audit-rights provisions.

Telecoms, cloud, cyber and data — UAE counsel for the digital economy.

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