Abu Dhabi

  In March 2021, the highest court in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Cassation Court, upheld the denial of the enforceability of an arbitration agreement due to the clause merely stating that arbitration shall be governed by the laws of the United Arab Emirates without explicit scope to any disputes. The Cassation […]

  Brief Since around September 2020, the tax dispute resolution committee of the Emirate of Dubai has been inoperable (under reformation). On 25 November 2020, the UAE Minister of Justice issued Ministerial Decree No. 691/2020 on the Formation of Tax Dispute Resolution Committees for the Emirate of Dubai. The Emirate of Dubai previously had only

  In a recent judgment, the highest Court in Dubai, the Dubai Cassation Court ruled that incorporating a FIDIC contract (general conditions) by reference into a transaction does not necessarily bind the parties to the arbitration clause therein that FIDIC contract (general conditions). In this judgment, the Dubai Cassation Court also sheds light on the

Enforcement is an issue that frequently arises with plaintiffs in the United Arab Emirates. The difficulties are multi-fold; lack of follow-up by counsel; aggressive asset transfer and concealment by the defendant (i.e. such as real estate transfer to a spouse); queuing behind prior creditors whom have already issued attachment orders on assets; but one crucial

In the extremity; when faced with errors in tax filings, taxable persons may be subject to fines amounting to the equivalent of up to 350% of any unpaid taxes. Comparatively, with appropriate record-keeping and diligent filing of a voluntary disclosure(s), the penalty that could apply to errors would only be 5%, as supported by a

As the Coronavirus pandemic takes its toll on businesses, many employment relationships are facing disruption, and employers are taking action on a mass-scale, with issues relating to unpaid leave, undue termination, or other actions that may be seen as a breach of contractual or lawful employment rights. Comparatively, employees who deem themselves victimized in the

On 9 September 2020, the National Media Council issued a circular regarding social media advertisements which will impact companies, brands, influencers, and anyone who carries out social media advertising activities on a commercial basis; emphasizing the need to obtain prior approval from the Media Licensing Department. As the influencer wave maintains its consistent growth, the

  Summary The UAE Supreme Court ruled that foreign companies engaging in commercial activities in the UAE are liable for the actions of their UAE subsidiaries even where the UAE subsidiary is the party to the contract in dispute and not the foreign company. The Supreme Court considered the following arguments: The ownership percentage of

On 20 June 2019, the Qatar Cabinet issued Decision No. 16/2019 On the issuance of the Implementing Regulation to the Tenders and Bids Law (the “Regulations”). Long-awaited, the new Regulations govern the tendering process as have been established by Law No. 24/2015 Regulating Tenders and Bids, providing detailed provisions regarding the step-by-step procedures that take

Electronic monitoring was introduced earlier this year [2019] via Article 355 of Federal Law No. 35/1992 (Criminal Procedures Law) via the amendments to the Criminal Procedures Law implemented by Federal Decree-Law No. 17/2018. On 4 August 2019, the UAE Cabinet, or more commonly referred to as the Council of Ministers, issued Cabinet Decision No. 53/2019