Commercial

DUBAI – The UAE remains the best country for doing business in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region for yet another year, as it introduced 4 new reforms...

Munir Suboh discusses Competition Law and how it has evolved in the region from the Practitioners Perspective. Munir Suboh, Partner and Head of Intellectual Property Practice at BSA Ahmad Bin...

Introduction In April 2019, the new Commercial Companies Law (the “New CCL”) entered into force and repealed the previous Commercial Companies Law (Law No. 4/1974) in its entirety. Although the...

The Dubai Government issued decree number 6 of 2020 in relation to advertisement regulations. This new decree sets out new guidelines, regulations and permits criteria for all physical advertisements, such...

The judicial system in the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) is one of the most dynamic systems in the world, in terms of adapting to both social and business needs. Being...

With VAT still being a fairly new concept in the UAE, the following article delves into the general principles contained within the VAT Laws and goes into detail on what...

The Dubai Land Department (DLD) has stated that a new draft law is set to keep rents in Dubai unchanged for a three-year period. This follows a prediction by the...

In late January 2021, the Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) Market Conduct Regulation (“Regulation”) was circulated to all banks and finance companies licensed by the Central Bank in the UAE...

Update to the Saudi Companies Law,Reporting of losses in Saudi Companies, Appointment of auditors, and Remote Board of Directors Meetings As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, some Saudi Arabian...

The laws around consumer protection in the UAE are continuously evolving and on 25 November 2020, the UAE Central Bank issued the Circular No 8 of 2020, Consumer Protection Regulations...

A family business is any business in which two or more members of the same family are involved and most of the ownership or control lies within such a family....

The Federal Cabinet issued the Cabinet Resolution No 58/2020 (the "UBO Regulations") last year. The UBO Regulations applies to: mainland (or onshore) companies (the "Mainland Companies"); and companies incorporated in...

Originally published as a Country Specific Q&A on Legal 500, Partner, Abdullah Ishnanehprovides an overview of litigation laws and regulations applicable in UAE, answering such questions as: What are the...

In the following article, originally published in The Oath Magazine, Rima Mrad and Bradley Moran offer a comparison of the Foundations in the ADGM, DIFC & RAK ICC – the...

New SCA Licensing Regime In 2020, the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), which is the UAE's financial and capital markets regulator, published a draft new rulebook on financial activities regulated...

On the 2nd of January 2022 the Federal Decree-Law No. 14/2020 will come into force, however, and similar to all new laws and regulations, it will be necessary to see...

We are extremely proud to announce that BSA Al Rashdi and Al Barwani has won Law Firm of the Year – Oman at the recent Oath Legal Awards ceremony, hosted...

Forfeiture' or 'liquidated damages' clauses feature in many commercial agreements, and more commonly in joint venture contracts in the oil and gas exploration and construction sectors. They are common in...

The reception, which took place in Paris on 23 October on the occasion of the SIAL (the largest global international food products exhibition) and the Paris Art Fair, was held...

New Memorandum Of Guidance On Reciprocal Enforceability of Judgments Enhances Trade And Investment Links Between UK and Dubai promoting DIFC Courts as Leader in International Commercial Dispute Resolution. 23 January...

Want to stay on the right side of UAE law? And know what to do should you get on the wrong side? Here’s the essential info you should be armed...

The United Arab Emirates has well and truly bounced back from the financial crisis on 2009-2010. Infrastructure construction has returned to full swing, while M&A deals abound, which means more...

Speakerat theJafza Road Show in Paris Hosted by BSA, Dumon & Partners, JAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority), and Le Moci in Paris and Lyonon 9th – 13th March 2015....

His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Al Nahyan enacted UAE Federal Law No (2) of 2015 governing the establishing of commercial companies in the UAE. The new law is a departure from...

BSA together with JAFZA organized a four-day road-show in Paris and Lyon, which included seminars and networking events with 300 of France's most prominent companies from a range of industry...

Speakerat the 1st regional conference on illicit trade and intellectual property crime for the MENA region Hosted by Interpol, at theJumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa, Kuwait on 1 -3June...

In this article, Johnny El Hachem provides an overview of two significant projects in Lebanon: The Water Supply Augmentation Project and the Electronic Trading System. Water Supply Augmentation Project For...

Senior Associate, Nadim Bardawil discusses the implications of the new Cyber laws in the UAE on JOSH FM. Topics covered: Awareness of Cyber laws in the UAE Posting of images...

Panellist at thePGA East Event on Lost in translation: A broad abroad Hosted by Producers Guild of America (PGA), an organization of US film and TV producers at PGA East...

The Saudi General Investment Authority (SAGIA) and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) have recently announced that they were preparing joint studies to implement the directives of King Salman,...

BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates are delighted to announce a market-leading affiliation between Dubai-headquartered regional law firm BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates and Dumon & Partners, a boutique...

BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates et Dumon & Partners sont heureux d’annoncer le rapprochement à compter de ce jour de leur cabinet d’avocats de Dubaï, leader au Moyen Orient...

Speakers at a legal seminar organised by the faculty of Law, University of Dubai, an initiative by Dubai Chamber. Hosted at Dubai Chamber Building, Deira on 20 October 2015. Topic:...

Speakers at a legal seminar at the Abu Dhabi Chamber. Hosted at Abu Dhabi Chamber Building, on 24 November 2015. Topic: Commercial Companies Law No. 2 of 2015 Presenters: Dr....

In an attempt to address recent criticisms targeted at its complex and time-consuming registration procedures and in order to attract significant foreign investments, perceived as a means of counterbalancing a...

On November 9th 2015 the Saudi Cabinet approved the text of the new Company Law, a move warmly welcomed by both the business and legal communities. The long-awaited piece of...

Speaker at INTAX Expo Global Summit 2016. Hosted by INTAX Expo, at Conrad Hotel on 14 - 15 March 2016, Dubai, UAE. Topic: Investing Globally – Flexible Corporate Structures Presenter:...

For some while, the Dubai Department ofEconomic Development (DED) has hada Commercial Control and ConsumerProtection Department (CCCPD), dealingwith consumer disputes. However, it has recentlyset up a new sub-department, called the...

Click here to view the article in full PDF Click here to view full article online Published: May 2017 Publication: Executive-woman Magazine Title: Exclusive interview with Rima Mrad Practice: CommercialCorporate...

Click here to view the full PDF. Published: December 2016 Title: If you are asked to vacate Practice: CommercialCorporate and M&AReal Estate Authors: John Peacock and Robert Mitchely

Analysis Offset obligations ("Offsets") are required by most of the GCC governments from their foreign service and product providers ("Contractors"). In short, as a matter of public policy, GCC governments...

Click here to view the article online. Published: May 2017 Title: BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates LLP Signs an Agreement with JAFZA to Empower Emiratisation under Tumoohi Project Publication:...

Click here to view the article in PDF. Published: June/July 2017 Publication: Lexis Nexis Middle East Law Alerts Title: Case Focus on DIFC Case No. 006/2016 Practice: Commercial Authors: Michael...

Click here to view PDF Published: November 2017 Publication: Lexis Middle East Law Title: VAT is happening in the Free Zone Authors: John Peacock

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the most attractive business markets on earth. However, setting up a business here can be rather tedious if you are not familiar...

By Lujain Al Yousef, Associate, and Abdullah Alanezi, Partner. Over the years the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has become a place of interest for many investorsaround the world. For...

  BSA’s Dubai Lawyers’Bertrand DumonandEdouard Salwanadvised Louis Dreyfus Armateurs,a French global Group engaged in maritime transportation and services, in the structuring of their activities in the region and on an...

  Global commerce depends, to a very great extent, on the relationships between manufacturers and suppliers on the one hand and their distributors and commercial agents around the world on...

Although there is no separate bankruptcy law in Oman, both the Commercial Code of 1990 and the Commercial Companies Law of 1974 provide a framework for the bankruptcy of traders...

The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADED) announced on Saturday 15th September 2018 the launch of the first phase of its Dual Licenses Initiative (DLI). The initiative enables companies...

Dubai Customs has issued an announcement that, effective 1 January 2019, all commercial and industrial companies operating under licenses issued by any of the free zones in the Emirate of...

With the increasing responsibilities and obligations given to board members and with the growing attention on the discharge of directors duties and liabilities, corporate entities are in need of corporate...

Direct Distribution 1.May a foreign supplier establish its own entity to import and distribute its products in your jurisdiction? A foreign supplier seeking to import and distribute its products in...

Among such extensive reforms is the issuance of the new Anti-Fronting Law or Anti-Concealment Law, promulgated under Royal Decree No. M4/1441, Cabinet Decision No. 785/1441, (the "Anti-Concealment Law") which replaced...

To the average person, franchise and distribution agreements sound merely like some pie-in-the-sky commercial arrangement between parties. The prevalence and importance of franchise and distribution agreements is significantly underestimated –...

2021 was an exciting year for the UAE: the market continued to see positive progress, the Dubai EXPO hosted visitors in their millions and the country topped the global ranking...

The 9% corporate tax that the UAE has announced is a positive from the point of view of government finances, but how will it affect the smaller companies in the...

The UAE business community has been attempting to prepare for the introduction of the country’s new labour law on Wednesday, but there has been uncertainty regarding how it will impact...

Jimmy Haoula explains, to Khaleej Times, that one of the key attributes of the new law is the prevention of the sale of shares or dividends of family-owned businesses to...

The recent announcement by the American casino chain Wynn Resorts to build an integrated luxury resort in Ras Al Khaimah with multiple entertainment venues and a gaming center has sparked...

Established for the purposes of assuming the role of mother company to the Kaizen Group and its global affiliate companies, ensuring the intergenerational operation and expansion of the Kaizen Group...

Post pandemic where the world has become more digital, the need for personal data protection legislation is felt more urgently than ever before. In the wake of this urgency, Oman...

The regulation has not been published yet, and not much is known about its effect. However, here are 5 things we already know:1- The Regulation is a positive step forwardThe...

What’s happened and why? Oman has recently promulgated the Personal Data Protection Law by Royal Decree No. 6 of 2022 (“the Law”). The Law shall be supplemented by the implementing...

Dubai’s new virtual assets regulatory law – and the corresponding new virtual assets regulatory authority (VARA) that has been launched to regulate, supervise, and control virtual asset services – is...

I. FREE ZONE FUNDSForeign investors interested in creating an investment fund in the UAE can choose between two free zones the Dubai International Financial Centre (the “DIFC”) located in the...

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) – the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region – has published its Consultation Paper No. 2...

On 24 May 2022 his Excellency Dr Abdulrahman Abdulmannan Al Anwar, the Minister of Human Resources announced Cabinet Resolution No 18 of 2022 (“the Resolution”), which is effective from 1...

Finding the perfect home is one of the most important decisions for anyone, but so is having the right landlord. So, if you want to find out whether there are...

In a recent edition of The Oath Magazine, Arsalan Tariq and Yasin Chowdhury offer commentary on the new CBO Financial Consumer Protection Regulatory Framework - a milestone for financial consumer...

When the Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced the implementation of corporate tax it announced that it would be following the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) model. By doing...

Over the past two years, the UAE Central Bank (“CBUAE”) has been actively working on issuing updated circulars to address the growing concerns and challenges relating to money laundering, financing...

IntroductionAs the UAE continues to attract entrepreneurs and foreign investment we expect to see a steep rise of start-ups in the near future.Crucial to a start-up are well organized and...

UAE-based Amanat Holdings, a healthcare and education investment company, has recently received approval to raise the cap on foreign ownership of the company’s shares from 49% to 100%. The company...

Real estate funds (“REF”) and real estate investment trusts (“REIT”) are currently a topic on everyone’s agenda given the introduction of new regulations aiming to attract more foreign capital to...

The Amendment Law amends some provisions of the Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017 on VAT which shall take effect from 1 January 2023.Some of the major amendments are the...

A family-owned business maybe be the oldest form of business organization in human history. In the GCC, the business environment has developed exponentially to the extent that there are large...

Federal Law No. 2 of 2015 on Commercial Companies (“CCL 2015”) introduced numerous provisions regarding record keeping and reporting and, as we all know, there was a reason behind this;...

The Saudi Arabian Vision 2030 is predicated on the development and diversification of the economy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Saudi Arabia). To realise Vision 2030, the Saudi Arabian...

On June 28, 2022, the Saudi Council of Ministers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (the ‘Kingdom’ or ‘KSA’) approved the new Companies Law (the ‘New Companies Law’) under Saudi...

IntroductionThe UAE has long positioned itself at the forefront of innovation in the region and is now strengthening its status by becoming the hub for crypto investors in the Middle...

Real estate investment funds (“REIF”) are currently a topic on everyone’s agenda given the introduction of new regulations aiming to attract more foreign capital to the REIF’s industry as part...

Foundations and Trusts are both legal entities that are used to manage assets and provide financial support for specific individuals or organizations. However, there are some key differences between the...

It was standing room only on Wednesday February 1st, as BSA Al Rashdi & Al Barwani Advocates & Legal Consultants (BSA), in partnership with The Oath, hosted a seminar on...

As the UAE’s new Personal Status Law was recently officially enacted, recognizing civil marriage in the country for the first time. BSA's Maroun Abou Harb spoke to Al Arabiya English who...

Senior associate, Tyne Hugo, recently spoke with ESG Mena on the topic of 'Taxation in the UAE and the impact on Environment, Social and Governance'. Read the full article below...

Tyne Hugo and John Peacock discuss the recent significant UAE VAT Law changes for 'Lexis Middle East Gulf Tax'. Federal Decree-Law No. 18/2022 brought in a number of changes to the...

The factors that contributed to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank were complicated and varied. Certain professionals have identified the bank's excessive dependence on the technology industry as a key...

The latest changes to the relevant laws in the last two to three years raised the need for companies to become more acquainted with their expected obligations. Apart from the...

IntroductionSaudi Arabia has recently unveiled four new Special Economic Zones (SEZs) across the country, bolstering its reputation as a global business hub and providing significant opportunities for investors across key...

In a significant move, the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates has issued circular no. /3/ of 2023 ("Circular"), in pursuance of the Federal Decree-Law no. /23/ of 2022...

The implementation of corporate tax in the UAE is imminent and effective starting 1st June 2023. Federal corporate tax has been implemented in the UAE in an effort to advance...

Senior Associate Tyne Hugo recently spoke with Gulf News regarding the implementation of Corporate Tax in the UAE and how to prepare for it. Corporate tax will be implemented in the...

IntroductionIn the ongoing transformation journey under Vision 2030, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has strategically decided to move regional offices of international companies to the Kingdom. This major move has...

The Kingdom's regulatory environment is constantly evolving in response to the dynamic global business landscape. The most recent evolution comes in the form of a new set of controls aimed...

The Emirates News Agency recently announced the official establishment of the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) in the United Arab Emirates as a federal authority to introduce a world-leading...

Antoine Iskandar recently spoke with Arabian Business answering the following questions regarding the use of TikTok for personal finance advice. What are the risks of younger people taking personal finance advice...

Writing for mentl, Michael Kortbawi, unpacks what the newly introduced end-of-service scheme in the UAE means for the financial stability of employees, and protections it may offer against companies that...

As Saudi Arabia continues to align its economic framework with Vision 2030, significant proposed changes to the Income Tax Law (ITL) and related regulations have been introduced for public consultation....