ATB Research Team

Dubai has announced a landmark expansion of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) with the launch of the DIFC Zabeel District, a Dh100 billion development that will more than double the size of the financial free zone. Beyond its physical scale, the project represents a significant strengthening of Dubai’s legal, regulatory, and dispute-resolution framework underpinning international business activity in the emirate. ...

Dubai International Financial Centre’s (DIFC) record growth in 2025 reflects not only rising commercial activity but also the continued strength of its legal and regulatory architecture, which has become a key factor attracting global financial institutions to Dubai.  The centre added more than 2,500 new firms during the year, taking the total number of active registered...

The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has imposed a financial penalty of US$455,176 (approximately Dh1.67 million) on Ed Broking (MENA) Limited, a reinsurance brokerage operating in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), for engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct in the course of its business.  The enforcement action underscores the DFSA’s strict stance on transparency, integrity, and proper disclosure within the DIFC’s regulated...

The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has issued a firm compliance reminder to private sector employers: no individual may legally work in the UAE without a valid work permit issued through official channels. The announcement reinforces the country’s labour law framework and signals continued strict enforcement against illegal or improperly structured employment...

Dubai’s announcement of the DIFC Zabeel District is not only a milestone in urban and financial development but also a significant evolution in the emirate’s legal and regulatory ecosystem. The expansion of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is set to reshape the legal landscape governing financial services, innovation sectors, and cross-border business operations in the region. ...

The UAE has introduced a landmark overhaul of its civil law regime through the issuance of Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025 on Civil Transactions a new Civil Transactions Law, marking one of the most significant legal reforms in recent years. The updated law reflects the country’s continued efforts to modernise its legal system, enhance contractual certainty,...

Enhanced succession planning, flexible share structures, and dispute-prevention mechanisms under the UAE Commercial Companies Law.  Legal Certainty for Family-Owned Businesses  Recent amendments to the UAE Commercial Companies Law (CCL) mark a significant shift in how family-owned and closely held businesses are regulated, particularly in matters of succession, share transfers, and shareholder disputes. The reforms aim to eliminate long-standing legal...

Recent amendments to the UAE Commercial Companies Law have significantly expanded and clarified the concept of Emirati corporate status, formally recognising a broader range of companies as Emirati entities for legal and commercial purposes. The reforms apply across the UAE’s business ecosystem, including mainland companies, free zone entities, and financial free zone companies, and form...

The United Arab Emirates has announced plans to increase the number of registered companies in the country to two million by the end of the decade, underscoring the central role of legal and regulatory reform in shaping the nation’s economic growth strategy.  The target was outlined by Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, during a...

The Dubai Land Department (DLD) has introduced a new public awareness campaign aimed at reducing rental disputes by strengthening understanding and compliance with the Ejari tenancy registration system. The initiative comes amid sustained activity in Dubai’s rental market and a growing volume of landlord tenant disagreements linked to procedural non-compliance and misinterpretation of tenancy laws.  Ejari Compliance at the Core of...