A CMA-licensed wealth advisor in the UAE is a firm authorised by the United Arab Emirates Capital Market Authority (CMA, formerly the Securities and Commodities Authority, SCA) to provide regulated investment advisory and arrangement services. In 2025, the regulator was renamed and restructured. The licensing register, the firms it supervises, and the supervisory powers carried across. What changed was the name on the door, not the regulatory framework operating behind it.
Investors verifying who they place capital with should understand four things: what the rename actually did, what a CMA licence entitles a firm to do, how to verify a specific licence, and what a licence does not cover.
What actually changed in the SCA-to-CMA rename
The Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) was the federal UAE securities regulator for over twenty years. In 2025 it was reformed as the Capital Market Authority (CMA), with an expanded mandate, refreshed governance, and updated enforcement procedures. The licensing categories were preserved. Existing licence numbers carried across.
For a firm regulated under the framework before 2025, the most visible change is the name. Skybridge Advisory's licence number 20200000272 is unchanged. The supervisory obligations, capital adequacy requirements, and conduct rules are continuous.
For investors, the practical implication is that a firm describing itself as "CMA-licensed" today and "SCA-licensed" in older marketing is the same regulated entity. Both names point to the same authority, the same register, and the same protections.
What a CMA licence entitles a firm to do
The CMA licensing categories define the activities a firm is permitted to perform. Skybridge holds a Category 5 licence (Arrangement and Advice). That permits us to provide investment advice to qualified investors, arrange transactions on their behalf, and operate the introducer and structuring layers of an advisory engagement.
Other categories cover dealing as principal, investment management discretion, custody, and operating an investment fund. Each category carries its own capital requirements, reporting obligations, and limitations on activity. A firm's licence category determines what it can offer, not its name or marketing.
How to verify a UAE wealth advisor's licence
The CMA maintains a public register of licensed firms. To verify any wealth advisor in the UAE:
- Note the firm's licence number from its website or marketing materials. Skybridge displays this on every page footer.
- Cross-check the firm name and number against the CMA public register.
- Confirm the licence category against the activity the firm is performing for you.
- Check the licence is active, not suspended or under review.
A firm whose licence number cannot be located on the register, or whose activity does not match the category granted, is operating outside the regulatory framework. That is a structural risk before it is a marketing one.
What a licence does not cover
A CMA licence is a conduct framework, not a guarantee of returns. Licensed firms are bound by suitability, fiduciary, and disclosure obligations. They are not bound to outperform a benchmark, and they cannot promise specific outcomes on a regulated investment. Any advisor whose marketing leads with "guaranteed returns" or "risk-free" framing is breaching CMA promotion rules, regardless of licence status.
A licence also does not extend to unrelated parties. If an introducer or content creator routes you toward a regulated firm, the regulated firm carries the licence; the introducer does not. We cover this distinction in detail on the influencer partnership page and the compliance page.
Why the name change matters less than people think
Renames reset search results and confuse newcomers, but they rarely change the substance of how a regulator operates. The CMA inherits the SCA's supervisory practice, register, and enforcement record. For investors, the question to ask any UAE wealth advisor in 2026 is the same question that mattered in 2024: what is your licence number, what category does it cover, and where can I verify it.
At Skybridge, the answer is: Licence No. 20200000272, Category 5 (Arrangement and Advice), verifiable on the CMA public register. The licence covers our advisory activity for accredited investors, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and family offices in the UAE and the wider GCC.
Related reading
- Compliance and regulation: full detail on the licence, audit, custodian, and trust stack.
- About Skybridge Advisory: founding context and operating record.
- Book a Wealth Strategy Session if you want to talk through how regulation applies to your specific situation.
This article is intended for accredited investors and financial professionals. It is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Investing involves the risk of loss of principal. For advice on your specific situation, consult qualified counsel and a licensed advisor.