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...
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....
The UAE continued its ambitious legislative overhaul in 2025, issuing a wide range of legal reforms that touched on public safety, financial regulation, digital governance, and criminal justice. These changes reflect the nation’s ongoing efforts to modernise its legal framework in line with social priorities, global standards, and economic diversification. Tougher Drug Control Laws: Greater Penalties and Enforcement In 2025,...
On 1 January 2026, the UAE ushered in one of the most significant legal reforms of the last decade: the promulgation of changes to the Civil Transactions Law, 2026. While the announcement from WAM reads like a formal legislative update, the implications of this law are far-reaching, practical, and deeply relevant to how people live, contract, invest, inherit, and resolve...
The UAE has announced a significant labour market reform aimed at strengthening Emiratisation and improving income security for UAE nationals employed in the private sector. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has confirmed that a minimum monthly wage of Dh6,000 will be mandatory for Emirati employees in private companies, effective 1 January 2026. The decision...
The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has taken decisive enforcement action against a domestic worker recruitment agency operating in Ajman, revoking its licence after confirming serious violations of domestic labour regulations. The move reflects the UAE government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen regulatory oversight, enhance transparency, and protect the rights of domestic workers across the country. According...
The United Arab Emirates has implemented a significant overhaul of its visa and residency regime, introducing new visit-visa categories and revising existing eligibility and sponsorship requirements. The reforms, approved by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) and effective from 2025, form part of the UAE’s broader strategy to strengthen economic competitiveness, attract...
