Insight Category: News
Listings are increasingly accompanied by bespoke financing arrangements put in place ahead of, or alongside, the offering to bridge funding needs, manage valuation uncertainty, or provide structured access to equity markets. One structure frequently encountered in this context is the Share Subscription Facility Agreement (“SSFA”) – and the UAE nexus questions it raises deserve a… Continue reading Financings in connection with Listings and how these may be applied in the UAE...
The UAE has taken another significant step in modernising its legal framework with the enactment of Federal Decree by Law No. 25 of 2025 Promulgating the Civil Transactions Law, which came into force on 1 June 2026 and repealed and replaced Federal Law No. 5 of 1985. While many of the underlying principles of UAE… Continue reading The UAE’s New Civil Transactions Law: Key Banking and Finance Considerations...
Towage operations are usually planned as technical marine services. The parties agree on the tug, the tow, the location, the operational instructions, the rates, and the scope of service. However, many towage contracts do not sufficiently address what happens if the operation results in pollution, grounding, sinking, wreck removal, or intervention by the maritime authority.… Continue reading Towage Operations in Oman: When Contractual Silence Does Not Remove Liability...
Introduction Off-plan sales have become a cornerstone of Dubai’s real estate market, supported by a comprehensive legislative framework designed to safeguard investors and promote market transparency. While the Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) is commonly regarded as the principal contractual document, the parties’ relationship often begins with the execution of a Reservation Form. Contrary to… Continue reading Reservation Forms in Off-Plan Sales: Are They Binding Contracts Under UAE Law?...
UPDATE: UAE Cabinet announces an Emergency Financial Crisis period under the Bankruptcy Law The UAE Cabinet has issued Cabinet Decision No. 94/2026, dated 1 June 2026, on the implementation of the provisions of Title 5 of Federal Decree-Law No. 51/2023 (the Financial Reorganisation and Bankruptcy Law). Title 5 shall now apply to preventive settlement,… Continue reading UAE Cabinet announces an Emergency Financial Crisis period under the Bankruptcy Law...
The UAE’s New VAT Education Guide: What the Sector Needs to Know In June 2026, the UAE Federal Tax Authority published VATGED1, its first standalone VAT guide for the education sector. This is not a minor update: it materially expands and clarifies the earlier Basic Tax Information Bulletins that previously served as the FTA’s principal… Continue reading New UAE VAT Guide for the Education Sector...
Imagine this: You run a mid-size trading company in the UAE. Every quarter, you dutifully file your VAT returns, and every quarter, you report more input tax than output tax because your business model involves heavy procurement and slim local margins. The Federal Tax Authority owes you money. You’ve submitted your refund requests. You’ve uploaded… Continue reading Stuck Waiting on a VAT Refund? You May Have More Options Than You Think...
The UAE has taken a significant step in digital child protection, with the UAE Cabinet issuing a resolution regulating children’s access to social media platforms and setting 15 years as the minimum age for social media use in the UAE. Under the resolution, children under 15 are prohibited from creating, using, or operating personal social… Continue reading UAE Cabinet Resolution on Children’s Access to Social Media Platforms...
Many creditors assume that obtaining a favorable court judgment marks the end of a dispute and the beginning of recovery. However, winning a case is often only half the battle. The far more difficult challenge lies in ensuring that sufficient assets remain available when the time comes to enforce the judgment. One of the most… Continue reading When a Judgment Is Not Enough: Why Creditors Still Struggle to Recover Debts in the UAE...
The UAE’s Federal Tax Authority updated its guidance on the taxation of Family Foundations in June 2026. A Family Foundation is a legal structure that can hold and manage assets for identified beneficiaries or a specified purpose. In the UAE, and particularly in financial free zones such as the DIFC and ADGM, foundations are commonly… Continue reading Understanding the June 2026 Update to the Corporate Tax Guide on Family Foundations: What Changed and What It Means for You...