The UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) has issued a fresh investor alert, warning the public about two companies operating without the required licences.

In a statement on Friday, December 12, the authority identified XC Market Limited and XCE Commercial Brokers LLC as unlicensed entities, noting that both firms are conducting financial activities without SCA approval.

The regulator stressed that the companies are not authorised to carry out regulated investment services or offer any related financial products in the UAE. It also clarified that it bears no responsibility for any transactions conducted with the firms.

The warning follows a series of recent alerts as part of the SCA’s ongoing push to combat fraudulent operators. Earlier this month, the authority cautioned investors about Global Capital Securities Trading, which was posing as a licensed trading firm. On December 3, it also flagged an entity calling itself the Gulf Higher Authority for Financial Conduct, which was found using a misleading website and falsely claiming regulatory status.

The SCA reiterated that investors should verify the licensing status of any company before engaging in financial dealings, as the regulator continues monitoring for unlicensed operators and cloned platforms targeting the UAE market.

The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has announced a temporary traffic diversion on Emirates Road beginning Thursday, December 11, as part of ongoing development works aimed at improving road efficiency and easing traffic flow in the area.

As part of the plan, the slip road for motorists travelling from Ras Al Khaimah towards Al Dhaid at Interchange No. 7 will be closed for the duration of the project. Traffic will instead be redirected to alternative routes to support smoother vehicle movement and ensure road user safety.

Drivers are advised to use Interchange No. 6 and the new Khorfakkan Road tunnel as substitutes during the closure.

The ministry thanked the public for their cooperation and emphasised the importance of following traffic instructions, adhering to directional signs installed at the site, and maintaining safe driving throughout the diversion period.

DP World is giving Dubai’s coastline a pretty cool eco-upgrade, and it’s happening right now at Jebel Ali Port. The company has just finished the first phase of its Living Seawalls project, installing 1,000 marine-friendly panels that don’t just sit there; they actually grow life.

Think of them as seawall panels with personality. Instead of flat concrete, these have grooves, textures, and rock-like surfaces, basically, prime real estate for marine creatures looking for a place to call home.

And this is just the beginning. By 2028, the project will stretch to 6,000 panels, creating the region’s longest continuous eco-waterfront built right into a port.

Why This Matters

Ports aren’t exactly known for being wildlife hot spots, but DP World wants to change that. These panels, created in partnership with Living Seawalls (a science-led programme from the Sydney Institute of Marine Science), give algae, barnacles, small fish, and other species a fighting chance to settle and thrive.

In short, big ships and big biodiversity can actually coexist.

Science Is Watching Closely

Starting in 2026, researchers will begin monitoring how much life has moved in, and how quickly. If the results match DP World’s earlier pilot in Peru, Dubai could see a real boost in coastal biodiversity. That Peru project recorded 66 species in just 12 months, including several that existed almost exclusively on the eco-panels.

Part of a Bigger Picture

This installation also supports the company’s global Ocean Strategy, the UAE’s wider sustainability push, and biodiversity targets under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

DP World is also involved in the Dubai Reef initiative and other nature-positive projects. So, the Living Seawalls at Jebel Ali aren’t just a one-off; they’re part of a long-term movement to rethink how ports interact with the ocean.

As coastal cities feel the pressure from climate change, projects like this show that infrastructure doesn’t have to compete with nature. It can help it recover.