15 Oct 2026 Read more
AI Analysis
On 15 October 2026, the ADGM Registration Authority published Consultation Paper No. 7 of 2026 proposing a regulatory framework for business centres. The proposal would make providing business centre services a controlled activity and introduce licence conditions and fees intended to protect tenants and support continuity of premises and registered-office arrangements.
Key dates
- 2026-10-15
- ADGM announced publication of Consultation Paper No. 7 of 2026 on the proposed regulatory framework for business centres.
- 2026-11-06 Deadline
- Consultation period closes; stakeholders wishing to provide feedback should submit comments by this date.
Suggested considerations
- Business centre operators should consider reviewing the consultation paper and the proposed Controlled Activities Rules, Conditions of Licence and Branch Registration Rules, and Fees Rules to identify whether their current services would fall within the proposed controlled activity.
- Existing and prospective operators should consider assessing licensing eligibility, governance, premises, staffing, client-contract, registered-office and continuity arrangements against the proposed framework once the detailed amendments are reviewed.
- Company service providers and firms using business centres should consider assessing whether their current registered-office or premises arrangements depend on an operator that may require a new or amended ADGM licence.
- Affected stakeholders should consider submitting comments to the RA before 6 November 2026, including feedback on scope, transitional arrangements, fees, continuity protections and the treatment of existing tenants.
- Compliance teams may wish to monitor the RA’s final rules and any implementation or grandfathering provisions before treating the proposal as a binding obligation.
What changed
The RA proposes amendments to the Commercial Licensing Regulations (Controlled Activities) Rules, the Commercial Licensing Regulations (Conditions of Licence and Branch Registration) Rules, and the Commercial Licensing Regulations (Fees) Rules. The proposed framework would classify the provision of business centre services as a controlled activity, meaning that business centre operators would need the relevant ADGM commercial licence or applicable exemption. It would also establish specific conditions of licence for applicants and licensed business centre providers, together with related fees. The publication does not state that these amendments are yet in force, nor does the announcement specify the detailed licence conditions, transitional arrangements, application fees, minimum premises
Compliance impact
This is not yet a binding licensing requirement, but it signals a potentially material authorisation and operational-continuity change for ADGM business centre operators and users of their registered-office services. The proposal is consistent with the RA’s broader 2026-2027 supervisory emphasis on licensing accuracy, consumer protection, beneficial-ownership transparency and high standards among
Who is affected
Related regulations
References
AI-generated analysis. May contain errors or omissions — verify with the original ADGM source before acting. Full disclaimer.
What the ADGM said
15 Oct 2026 Read more
Published by ADGM . Read the full notice at the source for the authoritative text.