Axxion’s Editions

CBUAE Notice 2058/2026 bans WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and all instant messaging for customer-facing financial services.

‍

‍Deadline: 30 April 2026. 02 Applies to all licensed insurers. Extends to outsourced operations — TPAs and agents carry the ban through the insurer's compliance obligation. 03 A portal-link model — where WhatsApp carries only a notification link and all data stays on a UAE-hosted portal — may satisfy the notice without killing the workflow.

‍

CBUAE publishes AI governance guidance for all UAE financial institutions.

‍

The Central Bank issued its Guidance Note on Consumer Protection and Responsible Adoption of AI and Machine Learning on 23 February 2026, establishing governance expectations for all licensed financial institutions, including every insurer operating in the UAE. The guidance is principles-based rather than prescriptive, but its inclusion in the CBUAE Rulebook signals clear regulatory expectations. It covers board-level accountability for AI outcomes, fairness and non-discrimination requirements, transparency and explainability standards, and effective human oversight across the AI lifecycle. Institutions that ignore it will find themselves explaining that choice to the regulator. (CBUAE Rulebook, February 2026)