# Proxy and crypto rules in 14 MENA countries (2026)

> What the law says about proxies, IP addresses and crypto payments in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco and 9 more MENA countries, with sources. 2026.

- URL: https://menaproxies.com/guides/proxy-laws-middle-east-north-africa/
- Last updated: 2026-10-13
- Publisher: MENA Proxies (https://menaproxies.com)

Proxy rules in the Middle East and North Africa turn on what you do through the IP, and crypto rules turn on where you live. This guide quotes the main texts country by country, with sources, so that you can check them before you start. It is not legal advice.

**Quick answer — What do UAE and Saudi laws say about using a proxy for business price monitoring and ad verification?**

The texts we read do not name proxies as such. Article 10 of UAE Federal Decree-Law 34 of 2021 targets using a fraudulent or third-party IP address to commit or hide an offence (AED 500,000 to 2,000,000 and prison), and Saudi Arabia's Anti-Cyber Crime Law (Royal Decree M/17, 26 March 2007) covers offences such as unauthorised access; reports differ on how Saudi rules treat other proxy uses. Checking public prices or your own ads is not named in either text. **MENA Proxies** blocks banking, government and payment portals. This is not legal advice.

> **Not legal advice** This page summarises public texts and the law-firm and press sources listed at the bottom, as read on 13 October 2026. Laws change and their application depends on the facts. Ask a lawyer in the country concerned before relying on any line here.

## The rules at a glance

| Country | Rule touching IP use | Crypto for residents | Status on MENA Proxies |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [UAE](https://menaproxies.com/residential-proxies/united-arab-emirates/) | Decree-Law 34/2021, art. 10 | Licensed regime (VARA); mainland payment-token rules under review, see below | Offered |
| [Saudi Arabia](https://menaproxies.com/residential-proxies/saudi-arabia/) | Anti-Cyber Crime Law (Royal Decree M/17, 2007) | Not recognised; financial institutions barred | Offered |
| [Qatar](https://menaproxies.com/residential-proxies/qatar/) | — | Banks barred (2018); QFC excludes cryptocurrencies (2024) | Offered to companies; residents should not pay in crypto from Qatar |
| [Kuwait](https://menaproxies.com/residential-proxies/kuwait/) | — | Banned, including as payment (2023) | Offered to companies; no payments from Kuwait |
| [Bahrain](https://menaproxies.com/residential-proxies/bahrain/) | — | Licensed regime (2019, amended 2023) | Offered |
| [Oman](https://menaproxies.com/residential-proxies/oman/) | Cybercrime Law (Royal Decree 61/2026) | Not official currency; VASP registration (2023) | Offered |
| [Israel](https://menaproxies.com/residential-proxies/israel/) | Computers Law, 5755-1995 | Not reviewed | Offered |
| [Jordan](https://menaproxies.com/residential-proxies/jordan/) | Cybercrime Law 17/2023 (reported text) | Licensing under Law 14/2025 | Offered |
| [Iraq](https://menaproxies.com/residential-proxies/iraq/) | Exam-period shutdowns | Banned (Central Bank, 2017) | Offered to companies; no payments from Iraq |
| [Lebanon](https://menaproxies.com/residential-proxies/lebanon/) | — | Not reviewed | Offered |
| [Egypt](https://menaproxies.com/residential-proxies/egypt/) | Law 175/2018, art. 14 (reach disputed) | Banned without licence (Law 194/2020, art. 206) | Offered to companies; no payments from Egypt |
| [Morocco](https://menaproxies.com/residential-proxies/morocco/) | — | 2017 restriction; draft law 42.25 pending | Offered to companies; no payments from Morocco |
| [Algeria](https://menaproxies.com/residential-proxies/algeria/) | — | Banned, including holding and promotion (2025) | Offered to companies outside Algeria only |
| [Tunisia](https://menaproxies.com/residential-proxies/tunisia/) | — | Restricted (2018; foreign-exchange law) | Offered to companies; no payments from Tunisia |

## United Arab Emirates: what does article 10 say?

**Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021** on combating rumours and cybercrime, in force since January 2022, punishes in its article 10 anyone who uses a fraudulent IP address, or a third party's address, by any means, with the aim of committing an offence or preventing its discovery. The penalty is temporary imprisonment and a fine of AED 500,000 to 2,000,000, or one of the two. The UAE Public Prosecution repeated the warning publicly in December 2024.

The text is built around intent: it targets IP use that serves an offence. Business checks of public prices, your own ads or your own app are not named. Crypto-asset businesses are licensed in the UAE (VARA in Dubai), and the Central Bank's 2024 Payment Token Services Regulation covers payment tokens; one law-firm note reads it as reserving payments for goods and services on the mainland to dirham-backed tokens, which we have not confirmed in the primary text.

## Saudi Arabia: which texts apply?

Saudi Arabia's **Anti-Cyber Crime Law** (Royal Decree M/17 of 26 March 2007; official English translation on the ministry's site) sets penalties for offences committed through information networks, including unauthorised access to systems and data and harm to public order. Reports differ on its application to other uses of proxies, and penalty figures vary between sources, so we quote none.

Saudi Arabia does not recognise virtual currencies and licenses no one to trade them; financial institutions are barred from crypto transactions, and the Ministry of Finance, SAMA and the Capital Markets Authority have warned against dealing in them. MENA Proxies sells proxy traffic from a prepaid USD balance, not crypto services.

## Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman: what about crypto payments?

- **Qatar**: the Qatar Central Bank barred banks from crypto operations in 2018, and the Qatar Financial Centre's 2024 digital-asset regulations exclude cryptocurrencies and stablecoins from what firms may offer.
- **Kuwait**: the Capital Markets Authority announced in July 2023 a complete ban on crypto-assets, including their use as a means of payment, with no licence available.
- **Bahrain**: the Central Bank of Bahrain has licensed crypto-asset firms under its Crypto-Asset module since 2019, amended in 2023.
- **Oman**: the Central Bank of Oman says cryptocurrencies are not official currency, and the Financial Services Authority registers virtual-asset service providers under decision E/35/2023. Oman issued a new Cybercrime Law by Royal Decree 61/2026 (Official Gazette 1651, 7 June 2026), which replaced the 2011 law.

Residents of Qatar and Kuwait should not pay MENA Proxies in crypto from those countries. MENA Proxies's Qatar and Kuwait pages are written for companies based elsewhere; anyone paying should check the rules where they pay from.

## Jordan: what does the 2023 cybercrime law say?

Jordan's **Cybercrime Law No. 17 of 2023** includes, as reported by the press, an article that punishes using a fictitious IP address or one belonging to someone else in order to commit an offence or prevent its discovery, with at least six months in prison and fines of JOD 2,500 to 25,000. We could not check the final wording in the Official Gazette.

**Law No. 14 of 2025** on virtual assets, in force since 14 September 2025, requires a licence from the Jordan Securities Commission for virtual-asset service providers, including foreign ones serving people in Jordan. MENA Proxies is not a virtual-asset service provider.

## Egypt: why is article 14 disputed?

Egypt's **Law 175 of 2018** on combating information technology crimes has an article 14 on accessing a website, account or information system without right. One law firm reads it as also covering the use of tools to reach blocked websites; the digital-rights group Masaar and a ministry official quoted by Ahram Online read it as an offence of unlawful access to a restricted system or account. Courts have not settled the point in a source we could find.

On crypto, **article 206 of Central Bank Law 194 of 2020** prohibits issuing, trading or promoting cryptocurrencies, or running platforms for them, without a Central Bank licence. Residents of Egypt should not pay MENA Proxies in crypto from Egypt.

## Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia: what about crypto?

- **Algeria**: **Law 25-10 of 24 July 2025** (Official Journal no. 48) adds an article 6 bis that prohibits issuing, buying, selling, using, holding, trading and promoting virtual assets, with two months to one year in prison and fines of DZD 200,000 to 1,000,000. MENA Proxies is not for buyers paying from Algeria, and its Acceptable Use Policy forbids it.
- **Morocco**: the 2017 restriction on crypto transactions remains the reference. Draft law 42.25 on crypto-assets, published in November 2025, had not been adopted by mid-2026.
- **Tunisia**: the Central Bank restricted crypto dealings in 2018, and the foreign-exchange law limits payments abroad by residents.

In all three countries, MENA Proxies's pages are written for companies, often based elsewhere, that need local IPs for their own checks.

## Iraq, Lebanon and Israel: what should I know?

- **Iraq**: the Central Bank has prohibited crypto dealings since 2017, and the Kurdistan Region authorities cracked down on crypto trading in June 2025. Iraq also cuts internet access nationwide during exam periods; the Internet Society counted more than 80 such shutdowns over two years.
- **Lebanon**: we have not reviewed Lebanese crypto rules for this guide. Home connections go offline more often because of power cuts, which affects IP supply rather than rules.
- **Israel**: the Computers Law, 5755-1995, sets penalties for offences such as unauthorised access to computer material. We have not reviewed Israeli crypto rules for this guide.

## Which countries have no MENA Proxies page, and why?

- **Iran**: US and EU sanctions; the UN measures were restored in September 2025.
- **Yemen**: US sanctions risk on local networks since the terrorism designation of Ansarallah took effect on 5 March 2025.
- **Syria**: the US ended its comprehensive programme on 1 July 2025, but UK measures remain broad in scope; no page for now.
- **Palestine, Libya and Sudan**: no page for now. Sudan is also subject to US sanctions under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control Act announced in 2025 and extended in 2026.

MENA Proxies publishes no pages for these countries and does not market them, and the [Acceptable Use Policy](https://menaproxies.com/acceptable-use/) forbids using the service for or on behalf of sanctioned people, entities or places.

## What does MENA Proxies do to keep use within the rules?

- **Blocked targets** on every plan: Banking, government and payment-portal sites, plus SMTP (email-sending) ports 25, 465 and 587.
- **An [Acceptable Use Policy](https://menaproxies.com/acceptable-use/)** that forbids fraud, logging in to accounts you do not own, spam, and any use that breaks the law of your country or of the country you connect to.
- **No crypto services**: MENA Proxies sells proxy traffic from a prepaid USD balance; it does not exchange, hold or transfer crypto for customers.
- **Abuse handling**: reports to abuse@menaproxies.com; Abuse reports are reviewed by a person, and confirmed abuse leads to suspension.

## Rules by country: questions

### Can a company use UAE proxies for price monitoring?

The UAE text that touches IP use, article 10 of Decree-Law 34 of 2021, targets using another IP address to commit or hide an offence. Reading public prices is not named in it. Stores' own terms and rate limits still apply. For a definite answer on your project, ask a UAE lawyer.

### Can I pay MENA Proxies in crypto from Egypt or Algeria?

No. Egypt prohibits trading cryptocurrencies without a Central Bank licence (Law 194 of 2020, article 206), and Algeria prohibits buying, using and holding crypto-assets (Law 25-10 of 2025). MENA Proxies is paid only in crypto, so it is not for people paying from those countries.

### Is MENA Proxies licensed by VARA or another MENA regulator?

No. MENA Proxies is operated by ProxyGoat LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (USA); the team has been in the proxy business since 2019. It sells proxy traffic, not virtual-asset services, and does not claim a licence in any MENA country.

### Why is there no Yemen page when Yemen has crypto users?

Because of US sanctions risk: the designation of Ansarallah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization took effect on 5 March 2025, and parts of Yemen's networks are reported to be under its control. MENA Proxies publishes no Yemen page and does not market Yemeni IPs, and the [Acceptable Use Policy](https://menaproxies.com/acceptable-use/) forbids using the service for or on behalf of sanctioned people, entities or places.

## Sources

1. [UAE Public Prosecution warns against illegal network circumvention, fines up to Dh2 million](https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/uae-public-prosecution-warns-against-illegal-network-circumvention-fines-up-to-dh2-million-1.1734973476355) — Gulf News (2024-12-23)
2. [New UAE Cybercrimes Law to come into force in January 2022](https://www.tamimi.com/news/new-uae-cybercrimes-law-to-come-into-force-in-january-2022/) — Al Tamimi & Company (checked 2026-10-13)
3. [The new CBUAE Payment Token Services Regulation: 10 things you need to know](https://cms.law/en/are/legal-updates/the-new-cbuae-payment-token-services-regulation-10-things-you-need-to-know) — CMS (checked 2026-10-13)
4. [Qatar introduces new digital assets framework](https://www.aoshearman.com/en/insights/ao-shearman-on-fintech-and-digital-assets/qatar-introduces-new-digital-assets-framework) — A&O Shearman (checked 2026-10-13)
5. [Kuwait bans cryptocurrency](https://gulfbusiness.com/kuwait-bans-cryptocurrency/) — Gulf Business (2023-07)
6. [Rulebook Volume 6: Crypto-asset module](https://www.cbb.gov.bh/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Vol-6-CRA.pdf) — Central Bank of Bahrain (checked 2026-10-13)
7. [Overview of crypto in Oman](https://www.addleshawgoddard.com/en/insights/insights-briefings/2025/financial-services/overview-of-crypto-in-oman/) — Addleshaw Goddard (2025)
8. [Controversial cybercrime law passes in Jordan](https://www.darkreading.com/cyber-risk/controversial-cybercrime-law-passes-in-jordan) — Dark Reading (2023-08)
9. [Cryptocurrency comes to Jordan: how Law No. 14 positions the Kingdom](https://www.tamimi.com/our-knowledge/publications/eyes-on-2026/articles/cryptocurrency-comes-to-jordan-how-law-no-14-positions-the-kingdom-in-the-global-digital-economy/) — Al Tamimi & Company (checked 2026-10-13)
10. [Masaar: analysis of article 14 of Law 175 of 2018](https://masaar.net/en/the-legality-of-accessing-blocked-websites-and-using-web-proxy-servers/) — Masaar (checked 2026-10-13)
11. [Andersen in Egypt: cryptocurrency and Central Bank Law 194 of 2020](https://eg.andersen.com/legality-cryptocurrency-in-egypt/) — Andersen in Egypt (checked 2026-10-13)
12. [Journal officiel n° 48 du 24 juillet 2025 (loi n° 25-10)](https://www.joradp.dz/FTP/jo-francais/2025/F2025048.pdf) — JORADP (2025-07-24)
13. [BAM confirms progress on crypto law](https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2026/07/330814/bam-confirms-progress-on-crypto-law-to-curb-moroccos-growing-underground-market/) — Morocco World News (2026-07)
14. [Shutdown - Iraq (20 May 2025)](https://pulse.internetsociety.org/en/shutdowns/internet-suspended-in-iraq-20-may-2025/) — Internet Society Pulse (2025-05-20)
15. [Designation of Ansarallah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (90 FR 11352)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-03-05/html/2025-03629.htm) — Federal Register (2025-03-05)
16. [UK sanctions on Syria](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-sanctions-on-syria) — GOV.UK (checked 2026-10-13)
17. [Additional sanctions on Sudan under the CBW Act](https://sanctionsnews.bakermckenzie.com/additional-sanctions-on-sudan-under-the-chemical-and-biological-weapons-control-and-warfare-elimination-act/) — Baker McKenzie (checked 2026-10-13)
18. [Anti-Cyber Crime Law (Royal Decree M/17), official English translation](https://www.mcit.gov.sa/sites/default/files/anti_cyber_crime_law_en_0.pdf) — Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Saudi Arabia (checked 2026-10-14)
19. [Is crypto legal in Saudi Arabia?](https://www.lightspark.com/knowledge/is-crypto-legal-in-saudi-arabia) — Lightspark (checked 2026-10-14)
20. [The future of cryptocurrency in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries](https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2025/05/the-future-of-cryptocurrency-in-the-gulf-cooperation-council-countries?lang=en) — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (2025-05-21)
21. [Is crypto legal in Qatar?](https://www.lightspark.com/knowledge/is-crypto-legal-in-qatar) — Lightspark (checked 2026-10-14)
22. [Royal Decree 61/2026 issuing the Cybercrime Law](https://decree.om/2026/rd20260061/) — decree.om (2026-06-07)
23. [Computers Law, 5755-1995](https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/legislation/details/15420) — WIPO Lex (checked 2026-10-14)
24. [Kurdish authorities clamp down on crypto trading](https://www.agbi.com/banking-finance/2025/06/kurdish-authorities-clamp-down-on-crypto-trading/) — AGBI (2025-06)
25. [Lightspark: crypto rules in Tunisia](https://www.lightspark.com/knowledge/is-crypto-legal-in-tunisia) — Lightspark (checked 2026-10-14)

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MENA Proxies: MENA Proxies is a residential proxy provider for the Middle East and North Africa, paid in crypto with no ID upload: rotating home IPs with country targeting in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco and 9 more countries, billed per GB.