The world has changed dramatically since 2020. First the COVID-19 pandemic, then the Russia-Ukraine war, and now the cascading effects of conflicts across the Middle East — including Red Sea shipping disruptions triggered by Houthi attacks — have pushed force majeure clauses from boilerplate obscurity to the centre of commercial disputes. Parties across the UAE and the broader region are...
Abu Dhabi’s real estate sector has taken a significant step toward greater maturity with the issuance of Administrative Decision No. 25/2025 on 28 February 2026. Titled “Regulation of Ownership and Controls of Use and Management of Real Estate, Parts and Common Facilities in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi,” this landmark measure provides much-needed operational detail to the existing...
The Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) has issued a suite of four administrative decisions implementing Law No. (3) of 2015 (as amended by Law No. (2) of 2025) on the Regulation of the Real Estate Sector. These measures, Decision Nos. (24), (25), (26), and (165) of 2025 represent a targeted and pragmatic evolution of Abu Dhabi’s real...
Looking back to the significant affirmation of commitment to child rights, in the United Arab Emirates continues to position the best interests of the child as the foundational principle underpinning all national decisions, policies, and programmes. This legal imperative, rooted in Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 Concerning the Rights of the Child (commonly known as Wadeema Law), has been operationalised through targeted emirate-level initiatives. Two...
The UAE has officially introduced a new Research and Development (R&D) tax credit regime to support innovation and strengthen its position as a global innovation hub. The regime offers a tiered, non-refundable tax credit on certain eligible R&D expenditure, capped at AED 5 million per tax period or fiscal year, with rates linked to employee headcount. It...
From rental dispute resolution to abandoned property rules, here’s what you need to know about Ajman’s sweeping legislative reforms. Since February 1, 2026, Ajman has had a dedicated judicial body to handle all matters between landlords and tenants. This follows the issuance of Law No. 1 of 2026 by His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and...
The Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) has been formally recognised as a Permanent Arbitral Institution (PAI) by the Russian Federation, marking a strategic expansion of its international reach and reinforcing its role as a preferred forum for cross-border dispute resolution. DIAC’s PAI Recognition in Russia The Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) was granted Permanent...
The UAE’s recent Civil Transactions overhaul (Federal DecreeLaw No. 50 of 2022) makes a single, simple but significant change to one of the most fundamental civil law concepts: the age of majority. Where the old Civil Transactions Law tied majority to completion of 21 lunar years, the 2022 DecreeLaw fixes majority at 18 Gregorian years....
When companies do business across countries, disagreements can quickly become complicated. Different laws, languages, and legal systems can make traditional court cases slow, expensive, and hard to enforce. Because of this, there is a growing need for a faster and more practical way to settle international business disputes. International Commercial Arbitration (ICA) has become the...
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Municipal Rural Affairs and Housing [MOMRAH] has introduced a comprehensive regulatory framework designed to significantly enhance the industrial investment environment for factories across the Kingdom. This new framework applies to factories located within urban areas, support service zones, and designated industrial districts, representing a key step in the country’s Vision 2030...
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