Habib Mohamed Al Hadi
Partner habib.alhadi@bsalaw.comNews
- Published: February 18, 2026
- Title: Legislative Transformations Leading a National Renaissance: How the UAE Keeps Pace with the Times Through Flexible and Effective Laws
- Practice: Litigation
- Authors: Habib Mohamed Al Hadi
The legislative landscape in the United Arab Emirates has witnessed, in recent years, numerous amendments to laws and regulations aimed at achieving a clear vision toward global competitiveness. Among the laws that have undergone amendments, by way of example and not limitation, are the Companies Law, the Civil Transactions Law, the Civil Procedures Law, the Personal Status Law, and other laws. Undoubtedly, the continued amendment of laws by the UAE legislator constitutes a positive phenomenon representing a deliberate legislative approach based on the idea that law is a living entity that evolves with the development of society and the state. The UAE legislator proceeds in its legislative amendments from a comprehensive and integrated vision, not based on reaction or partial treatment, but rather on conscious legislative engineering that serves the state, society, and the economy simultaneously.
The objectives of this ongoing approach may be identified as follows:
First: Ensuring the Compatibility of Legal Texts with Practical Reality
The legislator aims to:
- Achieve harmony between legal texts and practical application
- Address practical issues revealed by court practice
- Remedy shortcomings that emerge over time
Accordingly, continuous amendment serves as a means to align the law with practical reality.
Second: Modernizing the Legal Framework and Keeping Pace with Transformations
One of the fundamental objectives is to modernize existing laws to keep pace with:
- Economic and commercial development
- Digital transformation
- Globalization and the interaction of legal systems
- The diversity of civil and commercial relationships
The legislator does not view the law as a rigid text, but rather as a living tool that must evolve alongside society and absorb new realities.
Third: Supporting the National Economy and Attracting Investment
Legal amendments cannot be separated from the UAE’s economic vision as a regional and global business hub. Accordingly, the legislator aims to achieve:
- A clear legal environment
- Expedited resolution of commercial disputes
- Protection of contracts and investments
- Reduction of legal risks
Undoubtedly, the law here performs an economic function alongside its judicial function.
Fourth: Achieving Effective and Expeditious Justice and Accelerating Dispute Resolution
Through these amendments, the UAE legislator seeks to achieve justice and expedite the resolution of disputes by:
- Reducing litigation periods
- Rationalizing appeals
- Regulating procedural time limits
- Encouraging alternative dispute resolution mechanisms
- Enhancing the judge’s authority to assess procedural measures
- Preventing abuse of procedural rights
There is no doubt that this objective serves individuals, the state, and the national economy, and enables the rightful claimant to obtain their rights through the shortest legitimate means.
Fifth: Strengthening the Role of the Judiciary and Legal Stability
Among the objectives of the amendments are:
- Empowering judges with broader legal tools
- Enhancing the positive role of the judiciary
- Supporting judicial specialization
- Unifying the interpretation of legal texts
- Ensuring stability of legal positions
The legislator does not seek merely a swift judgment, but rather a fair, well-founded, stable, and enforceable judgment.
Sixth: Balancing the Protection of Rights, Freedoms and Public Order
The UAE legislator consistently seeks to protect rights without undermining public order and without opening the door to abuse of rights, thereby regulating contractual freedom, protecting the weaker party, and restricting abuse in the exercise of rights.
Seventh: Localization of Legislation and Comparative Openness
One of the legislator’s prudent objectives is to benefit from best international practices while respecting the UAE’s specific characteristics, thereby combining legislative authenticity with legal modernity.
Accordingly, it may be concluded that the overall objective of the UAE legislator in amending laws is to build a modern, advanced, flexible, and effective legal framework that achieves expeditious justice, supports the economy, and ensures societal stability within the framework of the rule of law.
