It operates only within the special economic zone and is tasked with providing a regulatory environment of international standards.
The DFSA's regulatory mandate includes asset management, banking and credit services, securities, collective investment funds, custody and trust services, commodities futures trading, Islamic finance, insurance, an international equities exchange, and an international commodities derivatives exchange.
In addition to regulating financial and ancillary services, the DFSA is responsible for supervising and enforcing anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) requirements applicable in the DIFC.
A number of laws created the DIFC and the necessary centre bodies, which include the DFSA.
[4] In 2019, it was reported that the DFSA was accused of retaliating against a whistleblower in a drug money laundering case.