Entire Section

RPP 2-5-3

An entity seeking authorisation to be a Bank, and to carry on its activities in or from the DIFC, will be either:

RPP 2-5-4

Where the applicant falls into categories (a) and (b) above, the DFSA will pay particular attention to the soundness of the existing bank of which the proposed DIFC entity is a part. It is our expectation that the existing bank will be a source of strength¹ for the DIFC entity. The DFSA will also pay particular attention to the supervisory relationships it has, or will need to establish, with the supervisor(s) of the existing bank, whichever jurisdiction(s) that is based in. Being able to exchange supervisory information with other relevant supervisors is a cornerstone of the DFSA's regulatory approach.

¹ The 'source of strength' doctrine is a well-established and understood concept in banking regulation. It is an expectation that the parent company of a regulated bank will be a source of financial strength and support to that regulated bank should it experience distress

RPP 2-5-5

Where the applicant falls into category (c) above, and so is a start-up entity, the DFSA will, clearly, not be able to place reliance on existing banking entities or the strength of a larger group. The credibility and financial soundness of the proposed shareholders of the start-up Bank will, therefore, be a key consideration for the DFSA, as it is these proposed shareholders that the DFSA would need to look to, to provide support to the Bank, should it encounter difficulties.

RPP 2-5-6

The DFSA will have a greater degree of comfort with proposed shareholders who are themselves regulated financial institutions or who have a track record of investing in financial institutions and of providing support to those institutions, if and when such support has been needed. Similarly, if proposed shareholders demonstrably have the financial means to provide further support to the start-up Bank, then this will allow the DFSA to take greater comfort.

RPP 2-5-7

Applicants who wish to establish a start-up Bank in the DIFC should consider carefully the implications of the absence of a central bank in the DIFC. For example, the DFSA would expect applicants to address how this fact would affect their:

RPP 2-5-8

In formulating this policy the DFSA recognises that it is not practical to provide information on the application of the policy to every possible scenario. Therefore, interested parties are invited to contact the DFSA if they have questions about the application of the policy to their particular circumstances.