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UAE Warns Of Cyber Attack Threat Over New Year Holidays
Hacking tools are simpler than ever to use, making it possible for a host of scammers to profit over the holiday season.
The rise of digital services in the Middle Eastern region, plus a growing number of internet and smartphone-equipped users, has dramatically increased the risk of cyber attacks, even threatening utility services such as water, gas, and electricity providers.
As we head into the New Year holiday weekend, the UAE Cybersecurity Council has given its citizens a stark warning of increased hacking and scamming activity from cybercriminals.
The council has emphasized the need for all institutions and authorities to ramp up their cyber defense systems, staying vigilant to threats and sharing information with the public to help them bolster their online safety, and working closely with authorities to pass on details of imminent threats.
Increased hacking activity isn’t just down to a growing reliance on digital services. The UAE Cybersecurity Council has also pointed out that hacking tools are now extremely simple for criminals to deploy. The council has stressed that both companies and individuals alike should adopt stronger protection mechanisms to safeguard themselves and their businesses.
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Dirham-Backed Stablecoin DDSC Enters Live Phase In UAE
Central Bank approval moves the dirham-backed token into deployment, targeting regulated payments and settlement flows.
The UAE has cleared the launch of DDSC, a dirham-backed stablecoin now entering live operation after approval from the Central Bank. The move pushes the project beyond its pilot phase and into the country’s regulated financial system.
The token is backed by a consortium led by IHC, Sirius International Holding and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), framing it as an institutional instrument rather than a consumer crypto product. DDSC was first announced in April 2025, but regulatory clearance now allows deployment and integration across approved channels.
DDSC runs on ADI Chain, a Layer 2 blockchain built by the Abu Dhabi-based ADI Foundation. The infrastructure is designed for governance and performance requirements expected by large institutions, linking blockchain settlement with existing compliance and oversight frameworks.
The focus is practical, targeting treasury settlements, high-value payments, trade and supply-chain transactions, and programmable financial flows for regulated entities. FAB plans to offer access to the token through approved platforms for its clients, keeping the rollout inside controlled banking environments.
“DDSC marks a defining milestone in the UAE’s digital finance journey,” said Syed Basar Shueb, CEO of IHC. “With the Central Bank’s approval and our transition into live operation, we are delivering trusted, institutional-grade infrastructure that strengthens resilience, accelerates innovation, and expands what is possible in regulated digital payments”.
Also Read: Basatne Debuts ORBT Platform For Digital Refunds In UAE
FAB says the project reflects how stablecoins can sit within traditional finance when risk controls are built in from the outset. “This milestone underscores that stablecoins can be integrated responsibly into the financial system when built to meet rigorous regulatory and risk requirements,” said Futoon Hamdan AlMazrouei, Group Head of Personal, Business, Wealth and Privileged Client Banking Group at FAB.
The launch reinforces the UAE’s strategy of pushing digital finance through regulation instead of open-ended crypto experimentation. Stablecoins in this model are positioned less as trading assets and more as programmable extensions of national currency, aimed at institutional scale and government use cases.
