Welcome SMEs to a new era of protection. Senior management must embed a culture of fair treatment. Policies must be updated. Boards must own it. Products must be designed with it. Staff must be trained on it. Let us explain. BACKGROUND In February 2026, the UAE Central Bank issued Regulation C 2/2026 - the SME Customer Protection Regulation - replacing the 2021 SME Market Conduct Regulation. It comes into force on 13 September 2026. This does not come as a surprise.

The GCC markets are navigating a period of real turbulence. Across several sectors — real estate, construction, retail, and beyond — businesses are feeling the pressure: tightening liquidity, shifting demand, and supply chain disruptions that show no sign of easing overnight. For large corporates, the playbook is well established. They can reach for the phone and engage Alvarez & Marsal, EY Restructuring, Rothschild & Co, or any number of international specialists with deep b

Since 1987, Legal 500 has been providing readers with an annually updated, impartial, third-party opinion on the leading law firms and lawyers in countries across the region. The rankings each year are based on the complexity of relevant projects worked on in the last 12 months, independent research and feedback from clients. The Bench retained all of its three firm rankings again in 2026 including: Band 2 firm ranking for TMT (alongside A&O, Bird & Bird, Lathams and Simmon

The Lexology Index (previously Who's Who Legal) Sports & Gaming seeks to identify lawyers who advise clients active in the gambling, gaming, leisure and sports sectors, in addition to, providing commercial and regulatory-focused advice. This year the research identified 488 leading sports and gaming lawyers across 54 countries - with only 3 lawyers from the UAE (Steve Bainbridge from Greenberg Traurig, Jamie Ryder from Reed Smith and Joby Beretta from The Bench). The Bench'