United Arab Emirates: Corporate and Company Law

Anthony Saad and Bharat Rajani examine the UAE Commercial Companies Law amendments introduced by Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2025, exploring reforms that enhance corporate flexibility, investor protection, and business structuring opportunities. The amendments introduce developments such as multiple share classes, statutory drag-along and tag-along rights, redomiciliation between mainland and free zone jurisdictions, and the recognition of non-profit companies.

Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025 represents the most significant reform of UAE civil law in a generation, fundamentally reshaping how contracts and civil transactions are governed across the Emirates.

The Dubai International Financial Centre has introduced a Variable Capital Company regime that combines institutional governance with flexible capital management. This comprehensive legal analysis examines how the DIFC VCC operates through segregated cells, variable share capital, and ring-fenced liability structures, offering sophisticated investors a consolidated platform for multi-strategy wealth planning within a respected common law jurisdiction.

Rita Abou Samra and Aishwarya More examine the latest 2025 compliance reforms introduced by DIFC and ADGM, highlighting key amendments to the DIFC Data Protection Law and ADGM's new auditor registration framework. The analysis explores expanded individual rights, broader application of data protection regulations, and the practical steps businesses must take to ensure compliance with these new governance requirements.

BLK Partners is a multi-jurisdictional law firm operating across Saudi Arabia, UAE, Lebanon, and Egypt, providing comprehensive legal services under a unified trademark while maintaining independent registrations in each jurisdiction. The firm's newsroom showcases expertise spanning maritime law, fintech regulation, corporate governance, real estate, employment law, and public-private partnerships, with particular focus on Middle Eastern legal developments and Vision 2030 initiatives.

Businesses operating in the UAE face severe consequences for failing to comply with anti-money laundering regulations, including substantial fines ranging from AED 50,000 to AED 5,000,000 per violation. Understanding the comprehensive AML framework under Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 is essential for financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses to implement proper customer due diligence, maintain accurate records, and avoid costly penalties that can damage corporate reputation.

Following the recent publication by our colleague on the legal framework governing force majeure in UAE real estate, we are seeing increasing interest from investors on how these principles...

The UAE Corporate Tax regime's Transfer Pricing framework extends far beyond traditional cross-border transactions, reaching into domestic relationships, family-owned structures, and Free Zone operations.

Explore critical insights across multiple sectors including Middle East construction challenges amid regional conflict, the intersection of financial reporting valuations and tax compliance, large-scale financial remediation strategies for overdraft fee disputes, and strategic healthcare real estate investment forecasts for 2026. These analyses examine how geopolitical uncertainty, regulatory scrutiny, and evolving market dynamics shape business decisions and operational strategies.