Asia Briefing’s Middle East Focused Regulatory and Operational Business Updates

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May 28, 2026

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Weekly business and foreign investment news roundup in Asia

by Asia Briefing and Dezan Shira & Associates (An Ascentium Company).

MIDDLE EAST EDITION

TOP STORIES THIS WEEK:

Do Property Owners Pay Tax in the UAE? Key Rules for Real Estate Investors

The UAE is still a tax-efficient real estate market, but property ownership is no longer automatically “tax-free.” Tax exposure now depends on who owns the asset, how the property is used, whether income is passive or business-related, and whether ownership is held personally, through a company, or via a free zone structure.

UAE E-Invoicing Update: ASP Appointment Deadline Extended to October 2026

Large businesses with revenue of AED 50 million or more now have until October 30, 2026, to appoint an Accredited Service Provider (ASP) under the UAE’s e-invoicing framework. The extension gives companies more time to assess vendors, align ERP systems, and prepare transaction processes — but the January 2027 go-live date remains unchanged.

Token Issuance in the UAE: What the 2026 CMA & VARA Rules Mean for Projects and Investors

The UAE’s 2026 token issuance rules raise compliance expectations for crypto projects and investors, with VARA treating whitepapers as legally binding documents and the CMA adding federal oversight across issuance, distribution, and investor protection.

UAE Leads Middle East EV Sales as Commercial Opportunities Expand

Demand in the UAE is expanding across charging infrastructure, fleet electrification, energy management, payment platforms, parking assets, battery services, and aftersales support — creating entry points for mobility, technology, and infrastructure companies.

UAE Pharmaceutical Distribution Reform: What It Means for Market Access, Supply Chains, and Drug Security

Pharmaceutical distribution reform in the UAE aims to strengthen drug security, reduce single-agent dependency, and reshape market access, with implications for foreign drugmakers, distributors, logistics providers, and healthcare investors.

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COMPLIMENTARY BUSINESS RESOURCES:

An Introduction to Doing Business in India 2026

This latest edition of An Introduction to Doing Business in India provides a clear, practical roadmap to navigating GST 2.0 reforms, the full rollout of the four Labor Codes, the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules 2025, and updates to incorporation processes, entity selection, audit requirements, and financial reporting.

An Introduction to Doing Business in Indonesia 2026

This publication, designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in Indonesia, was compiled by the experts at Dezan Shira & Associates, a specialist foreign direct investment practice, that provides corporate establishment, business intelligence, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence, and ﬁnancial review services to multinationals investing in emerging Asia.

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