Last week, a package of key regulations was published in the UAE's Federal Official Gazettes, reflecting a major overhaul of civil, financial and public regulation. The focus is on the new Civil Transactions Law, which lowers the age of majority to 18, reforms contractual rules, and reforms the SCA in the Capital Market Authority with expanded supervisory powers.
The package of changes also affected quotas for Emiratisation in medicine, rules for dealing with "unclaimed" bank accounts, and environmental control.
1. Last week, Federal Official Gazette No. 809 (annex 2) was published. The new issue contains new federal decree-laws aimed at a large-scale modernisation of the country's legislation in the civil, educational and financial spheres.
Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025 On promulgating the Civil Transactions Law - a reform updating the rules for concluding contracts and obligations.
One of the key changes was the reduction of the age of full civil capacity (legal age) from 21 to 18 (according to the Gregorian calendar).
Financial assets located in the UAE and belonging to a foreigner who has no heirs are...