20+
DFSA Rulebook modules
AI
Cited answers from article text
DIFC
Full jurisdiction coverage
Live
Reflects current rulebook
The DFSA Rulebook is the authoritative source for financial services regulation in the Dubai International Financial Centre. For authorised firms, compliance officers, and in-house legal teams, navigating the rulebook is a daily requirement — and finding the right article, in the right module, in the right version is time-consuming. Lexara indexes the complete DFSA Rulebook and makes it searchable in two ways: full-text and keyword search for rapid lookup, and AI Explorer for questions answered in plain English with citations to the exact article.
Explained in video
DFSA, step by step
Short explainer series narrated over diagrams, with the article behind every claim. Each video is about two minutes and starts the next.
DFSA rulebooks, chapter by chapter
Each rulebook page lists every chapter and article with a plain-English summary.
DFSA General Module (GEN)
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 491 articles · 59 chapters
2.2 Financial Service activities · 2.3 By way of business · 2.6 Providing money services · 2.7 Dealing in investments as principal · 2.8 Dealing in investments as agent · 2.9 Arranging deals in investments · +53 more
DFSA Conduct of Business Module (COB)
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 840 articles · 119 chapters
2.1 Application · 2.3 Types of Clients · 2.4 Procedures relating to client classification · 2.5 Record keeping · 3.2 Communication of information and marketing material · 3.3 Key information and Client Agreement · +113 more
DFSA Collective Investment Rules (CIR)
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 642 articles · 21 chapters
1 - Application and Interpretation · 5 - Fund Administrators · 6 - External Fund Managers and External Funds · 6A - Using a Fund Platform · 7 - Constitution · 8 - Management and Operation of a Fund · +15 more
DFSA Authorised Market Institutions Module (AMI)
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 401 articles · 15 chapters
2 - Application for a Licence or Endorsement · 3 - Authorisation · 4 - General · 5 - General Licensing Requirements Applicable to All Authorised Market Institutions · 5A - Additional Requirements for Operating a Facility for Investment Tokens · 5B - Additional Requirements for Operating a Facility for Crypto Tokens · +9 more
DFSA Anti-Money Laundering, Counter-Terrorist Financing and Sanctions Module (AML)
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 205 articles · 14 chapters
1 - Introduction · 4 - Applying a Risk-Based Approach · 5 - Business Risk Assessment · 6 - Customer Risk Assessment · 7 - Customer Due Diligence · 8 - Reliance and Outsourcing · +8 more
Markets Rules Module (MKT)
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 95 articles
Takeover Rules Module (TKO)
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 78 articles
Prudential — Investment, Insurance Intermediation and Banking (PIB)
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 60 articles
Prudential — Insurance Business Module (PIN)
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 60 articles
DFSA Auditor Module (AUD)
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 117 articles · 14 chapters
2 - Registration · 2A - Appointment of a Senior Officer · 3 - Suspension and Withdrawal of Registration · 4 - General Obligations · 5 - Appointment and Resignation of Auditor · 6 - Conduct of Audits and Preparation of Audit Reports · +8 more
DFSA Passported Funds Module (FPR)
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 82 articles · 7 chapters
1 - Introduction · 2 - Passported Funds · 3 - Procedure for Notification · 6 - Management and Operation of a Passported Fund · 7 - Fees · 8 - De-registration of Passported Funds · +1 more
Fees Module (FER)
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 37 articles
Latest DFSA updates
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 28 Oct 2026
The DFSA fines Moody’s Investors Service Middle East Limited USD 585,825 for data confidentiality breaches
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 26 Oct 2026
The DFSA fines Gary Joseph Peters USD 210,000 for misleading the DFSA and failing to produce documents
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 1 Oct 2026
WAIVER AND MODIFICATION NOTICE To Evolution Markets Limited (DIFC Branch)
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 1 Oct 2026
The DFSA fines Vault Wealth Limited USD 109,200 for carrying on unauthorised financial services in Dubai International Financial Centre
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 1 Oct 2026
Prudential – Investment, Insurance Intermediation and Banking Business Module (PIB) Rule-making Instrument (No. 443) 2026
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 1 Oct 2026
Conduct of Business Module (COB) Rule-making Instrument (No. 444) 2026
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 1 Oct 2026
Islamic Finance Rules (IFR) Rule-making Instrument (No. 445) 2026
Dubai Financial Services Authority · 1 Oct 2026
Glossary Module (GLO) Rule-making Instrument (No. 446) 2026
DFSA Rulebook modules: what each one covers
The DFSA Rulebook is structured into thematic modules, each governing a specific regulatory domain. Understanding the module structure is the first step to navigating the rulebook efficiently.
GEN — General: definitions, authorisation requirements, supervision, approved individuals
PIB — Prudential Investment: capital adequacy, risk management for investment firms
COB — Conduct of Business: client classification, suitability, disclosure, best execution
AML — Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Financing of Terrorism
REP — Reporting: periodic regulatory returns, notification obligations, timing requirements
MAR — Market Conduct: market abuse, short selling, transaction reporting
MKT — Markets: prospectus, disclosure requirements for listed entities
COLL — Collective Investment Funds: fund manager obligations, fund governance
IFR — Islamic Finance: Shari'a-compliant financial products and services
AI Explorer: ask the DFSA Rulebook a question
Instead of searching for the right module and article manually, Lexara's AI Explorer lets you ask a question in natural language and receive a cited answer — with the specific article, module, and subsection referenced. Ideal for compliance officers who need a fast, defensible answer.
Ask in plain English — no need to know the module or article in advance
Every answer cites the specific DFSA Rulebook article it draws from
Responses include the relevant article text, not just a paraphrase
Compare obligations across modules in a single query
Covers DFSA Regulatory Law, markets legislation, and DIFC Law alongside the Rulebook
Deadline and trigger tracking across the DFSA Rulebook
Many DFSA Rulebook obligations contain embedded deadlines — reporting windows, notification periods, review frequencies, and response timelines. Lexara's trigger layer extracts these from the article text and makes them queryable by obligation type and event trigger.
REP module: all reporting deadlines by return type and reporting period
AML module: suspicious activity reporting windows (24 hours for terrorism financing)
Notification obligations: approved individual changes, material risk events
Review frequencies: AML risk assessments, business risk reviews
Event-triggered obligations: breach notification, major acquisition thresholds
How Lexara works
Laws Browser
Browse the full article corpus for any UAE authority. Filter by law, chapter, or topic tag.
Full-text search
Keyword and semantic search across 7,000+ indexed articles from 20+ UAE regulators.
AI Explorer
Ask a regulatory question in plain English. Get a cited answer grounded in the actual statutory text.
Trigger layer
Structured deadline data per article — event type, offset, recurrence. No manual calendar parsing.
Common questions
What is the DFSA Rulebook?
The DFSA Rulebook is the primary body of regulatory rules issued by the Dubai Financial Services Authority, governing all financial services activity in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). It is structured into modules covering licensing, conduct, prudential requirements, AML, reporting, and market conduct.
How many modules does the DFSA Rulebook contain?
The DFSA Rulebook contains over 20 modules. Key modules include GEN, PIB, COB, AML, REP, MAR, MKT, COLL, and IFR. Lexara has indexed the full rulebook with AI-powered search across all modules.
Does the DFSA Rulebook apply outside DIFC?
No — the DFSA Rulebook applies specifically to firms authorised by the DFSA within the DIFC. Mainland UAE firms are regulated by CBUAE, SCA, or VARA under separate frameworks.
Can I search the DFSA Rulebook by keyword?
Yes. Lexara offers full-text keyword search across the entire DFSA Rulebook. You can also use AI Explorer to ask a question in plain English and receive a cited answer from the actual article text.
How often is the DFSA Rulebook updated?
The DFSA issues rulebook amendments periodically throughout the year. Lexara tracks changes and reflects updated article text as amendments take effect.
Need help complying with DFSA rules?
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Arakan Lexara Weekly
The week in UAE regulation, every Monday.
Key developments and what they mean, what firms are asked to do, and the deadlines coming up — from the DFSA, FSRA, VARA, CBUAE, FTA and more. Read the latest