Ibrahim Mohamed Shaker Ali

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Market rumors distort price discovery and investor confidence, especially in high-velocity trading environments. This study evaluates how the UAE commercial and securities law protects transactions against market-moving rumors and compares the UAE’s approach with that of the US, UK, and EU. Using a doctrinal-comparative design, it analyzes statutes, exchange rules, supervisory guidance, and published actions (2019–2025). Illustrative enforcement items and operational timelines are also mapped (e.g., early-morning disclosure windows and short suspensions). UAE provisions prohibiting misleading statements/manipulation converge with international standards. Exchange operations create same-day rebuttal discipline (e.g., 09:00 disclosure with a 09:00–09:30 suspension lever if missed), while public sanctions have reached AED 5,000,000, alongside aggregate and individual penalties. Compared with benchmarks, the UAE exhibits faster initial issuer statements but less explicit safe harbors for rapid rebuttals and narrower private redress pathways. The framework materially aligns with leading jurisdictions. Codifying explicit rebuttal timelines, introducing calibrated safe harbors for good-faith rapid clarifications, and clarifying interfaces for private actions would improve predictability and investor outcomes without weakening administrative deterrence.