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Google Ads crypto policy in the UAE: the 21 October licence rule explained

By Abhishek Thakral · abhi.performs, Dubai · Updated October 2026 · 9 min read

As of 21 Oct 2026, Google Ads crypto policy for the UAE has a new licence list. Google's change log says advertisers offering cryptocurrency exchanges, software wallets, contracts for difference (CFDs) or rolling spot forex to the UAE may advertise "when they meet the following requirements and are certified by Google" (Updates to Cryptocurrencies and related products policy (October 2026), Google). The update gives one reason: to "reflect regulatory changes and clarify licensing requirements".

Some headlines read this as a crackdown on forex brokers. Google's own policy history tells a quieter story: for CFDs and forex it is mostly a change of names. The federal regulator changed in January, and Google's list has now caught up. It still matters if you run ads for a licensed firm, because the licence on file has to match a name on Google's list.

What changed on 21 October

Google's change log now names four regulators for UAE crypto exchange and software wallet ads, and three for CFDs and rolling spot forex, with Google certification required for all of them:

• Crypto exchanges and software wallets. A licence from the Capital Market Authority (CMA), the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) or the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA).
• CFDs and rolling spot forex. A licence from the CMA, the DFSA or the FSRA. VARA is not on this list.
• Both. Other local legal requirements still apply, and the policy covers every Google Ads account advertising these products, wherever it is based.

For crypto, the new name is the CMA. Google's previous UAE rule, in force since 26 February 2025, accepted the FSRA, VARA or the DFSA (Updates to Cryptocurrencies and related products policy (February 2025), Google). A firm licensed only at federal level now has a route it did not have before.

For CFDs and forex, Google's policy page already required a licence from the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), the DFSA or the FSRA for UAE targeting, and on 21 October it still showed that wording (Complex speculative financial products, Google). The October rule swaps the SCA for the CMA and keeps the other two.

Enforcement is unchanged. Google says a breach will not lead to an immediate suspension: it issues a warning at least 7 days before it suspends an account.

Why the CMA is now on the list

The CMA is the SCA under a new name and a new law, in force since 1 January 2026. Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2025 made the CMA the SCA's legal successor (Al Tamimi & Company, May 2026). Al Tamimi also notes that the new law reaches anyone targeting clients in the UAE, even from outside the country or from a financial free zone, and that there is a one-year transition period.

Each regulator covers its own ground. The DFSA regulates the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the FSRA regulates Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). VARA regulates virtual asset activity in Dubai, which Al Tamimi says it does under an arrangement with the CMA. Which one a firm holds depends on where and how it operates. That is a question for its compliance team or lawyer: this guide covers Google's ad policy, not licensing advice.

Which licence you need: Google Ads crypto policy by product

What you need depends on what the ad promotes, not on the size of the company. Exchanges, software wallets, CFDs and forex follow the list above. Google's crypto policy page sorts the rest for UAE targeting (Cryptocurrencies and related products, Google):

• Hardware wallet. Google certification but no licence, as long as the device only holds private keys and offers no buying, selling or trading.
• Business that takes crypto as payment, or crypto-adjacent service. No application needed, as long as the ad does not promote buying, holding or trading crypto.
• Never allowed, licence or not. Initial coin offerings, DeFi trading protocols, crypto loans, unhosted software wallets, trading signals, investment advice, and aggregator, affiliate or broker review sites. The same goes for CFD and forex landing pages that offer signals, tips or broker reviews.

This matters for affiliate marketers. A "best forex brokers in the UAE" comparison page is not a licensed provider, and Google lists broker reviews and affiliate sites among the destinations it disapproves. The new licence list does not change that.

What you can still advertise without certification

Businesses that do not deal in buying, holding or exchanging crypto can advertise without applying, if they follow local law (Google crypto policy). Google's examples include businesses that accept crypto as payment, mining hardware, tax, legal and security services, and educational material that gives no investment advice, tips, financial calculators or trend analysis.

In the UAE, that covers more advertisers than you might expect:

• Property developers, brokers and retailers that accept crypto. You can advertise the property or the product. Keep the ad about what you sell, with crypto as a payment option, not about buying or trading crypto.
• Accountants, law firms and licensing consultants. Tax and legal services are on Google's allowed list. A business setup firm that helps crypto companies get licensed is close to that example, but Google does not name it, so keep the ads about your service.
• Training and education. A course that explains how crypto works is allowed. A course that sells trade ideas or signals is not.

If one of these ads is disapproved, edit the wording so it is clearly about your product. Google's policy page says an edited ad is re-reviewed, which typically takes 24 to 48 hours.

How to apply for Google Ads crypto certification

Since June 2026, crypto and complex speculative financial products certifications are applied for inside the Google Ads account, not through a Help Center form. The path on Google's crypto policy page is:

1. Open Admin and select Policy.
2. Select Account.
3. Select Apply for certification.

Google asks for a separate application for each location or group of locations, so a campaign that adds a second country needs a second approval. Google does not publish how long a review takes: plan the launch around the approval, not the other way round.

Read the change log, not the policy page

On the morning the rule took effect, Google's main policy pages had not caught up. The crypto page's UAE table still listed only an FSRA licence for a multilateral trading facility or a VARA licence. That is the 2023 wording, without the DFSA that Google added in 2025. The complex speculative products page still listed the SCA.

The change log entry carries the 21 October date and the new list, so treat it as the current rule. It has a copy error of its own: under the CFD and forex heading, the sentence repeats the crypto wording, though the heading and introduction make clear the three-regulator list is for CFDs and rolling spot forex. If a reviewer quotes the older page back to you, point to the October entry.

What to do now

1. List every campaign that targets the UAE. Include multi-country and GCC campaigns: the rule follows where the ad is aimed, not where your account is based.
2. Match the licence to the product. CFD or forex ads need a CMA, DFSA or FSRA licence. Crypto exchange and wallet ads can use any of the four, VARA included.
3. If your licence says SCA, talk to compliance first. Google's list now names the CMA. Ask your compliance team whether your licence now appears under the CMA, and check that your Google certification still matches before you spend more.
4. Check certification per location. If you are not certified for the UAE, pause UAE targeting until you are, rather than wait for disapprovals.
5. Clean up landing pages. Remove trading signals, tips and broker comparisons from any page that ads send traffic to.
6. Separate crypto-adjacent ads. If you only accept crypto or sell services around it, keep the ad copy about your product and away from buying or trading crypto.
7. Watch policy emails. Google gives at least 7 days' warning before a suspension. Act inside that window, not after it.

Location settings decide which country's rules apply, one more reason to get Google Ads location targeting right. It is also why Google Ads management in a regulated category should start with a policy check before launch, not after the first disapproval.

What I'd watch next

First, when Google updates its main crypto and complex speculative products pages, because until then they disagree with the change log. Second, whether Google says anything about certifications approved under the SCA wording. It has not so far. Third, whether Google's separate financial services verification programme ever adds the UAE. It runs in 42 countries, and the UAE is not one of them today (Financial Services Verification: relevant regulators and enforcement dates, Google).

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