Hong Kong Securities And Futures Commission And UAE’s Securities And Commodities Authority Sign Landmark MoU To Deepen Fund Distribution Collaboration

The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand cross-border market access for public funds under a Mutual Recognition of Funds (MRF) arrangement, marking a new milestone in advancing Hong Kong-UAE market connectivity.  

In the presence of The Honourable Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government, His Excellency (H.E.) Mohammad Alhawi, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Investment, Dr Kelvin Wong, Chairman of the SFC, and Dr Jean Fares, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Investopia, the MoU was signed into effect by Ms Julia Leung, CEO of the SFC, and H.E. Waleed Saeed Abdul Salam Al Awadhi, CEO of the SCA, during the Investopia Global – Hong Kong event yesterday.

The MoU expands the city’s public fund distribution network into the Middle East, by allowing the direct offering of unlisted foreign funds to retail investors in the UAE for the first time (Notes 1 and 2). This marks Hong Kong’s first MRF arrangement with a Middle East market, and also the UAE’s first with a jurisdiction outside the region.

Ms Julia Leung, CEO of the SFC, said: “This significant collaboration with the SCA has opened a new chapter in Hong Kong-UAE regulatory cooperation – not only reaffirming the city’s standing as a preferred fund domicile, but also highlighting its role as a premier gateway between Chinese Mainland and the Middle East, especially in a fast-evolving global landscape.”

H.E. Waleed Saeed Abdul Salam Al Awadhi, CEO of the SCA, added: "This partnership with Hong Kong marks a transformative milestone in redefining the global investment landscape, unlocking unprecedented opportunities for investors to engage with one of the world’s most advanced financial centres. We are deeply committed to empowering investors through a resilient investment ecosystem, one that drives innovation, sets new benchmarks in international best practices, and underscores the UAE’s strategic leadership as one of the top global financial centres."

To further their collaborative efforts, the SFC and the SCA had a high-level bilateral meeting on 16 September. Both parties reaffirmed their shared vision to enhance mutual market access and investor protection as well as to foster financial innovation.

Notes:

1. By virtue of new regulations issued by the SCA in 2023, unlisted foreign funds are no longer permitted to be promoted to retail investors in the UAE.
2. Further details of the mutual recognition of funds scheme are set out in the SFC’s circular dated 17 September 2025.