by Michael Kortbawi The recent Zen Tower fire in Dubai Marina is the just the latest in a spate of high profile tower fires to sweep the city in recent years – Tamweel Tower in JLT in November 2012, the ironically named Torch Tower in Marina in February 2015 and once more in August…
John Peacock, Head of Tax and Conveyancing at BSA’s Dubai office wrote an article for Emirates Law (published in the April 2018 edition) comparing the implementation of VAT in the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As the GCC countries start to move away from the oil-based economy models, they introduce…
First published on Whatson.ae So you’ve moved to Dubai and you’ve landed a sweet new job. You’re telling your mates about all the great perks – but as you compare notes with your fellow expats, you soon realise you might have missed out on a big one. Does your company have to pay for a…
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 the other. These relationships are the linchpin to moving goods and services to new markets around the world and they are governed, not only by…
John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, and Tyne Hugo, Associate, wrote a comprehensive step by step process on how to register for VAT in UAE. The UAE VAT regime was implemented on 1 January 2018 putting into operation Federal Decree-Law No 8/2017 on Value Added Tax and Cabinet Decision No 52/2017 on the…
Originally published on gulfnews.com John Peacock explains how the law treats a practice made infamous by speculators Property flipping is a term widely used in the US to describe the process of buying property and reselling it at a higher price, usually after making minor alterations or refurbishments. Technically the first buyer or the…
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 investors around the world. For businesses wishing to expand into international markets, KSA is the perfect choice. It is an economically stable country with a constant increase in the domestic…
We are happy to announce the collaboration between BSA and International Comparative Legal Guides (ICLG) on the ICLG Insurance & Reinsurance Legal Guide for the year 2018. Michael Kortbawi, Partner at BSA’s Dubai office, a prominent Middle Eastern Insurance lawyer, has been a longtime contributor to regional Insurance legal guides for a number of publishers. In…
Owners’ associations (OA) have been in a somewhat tricky position since the introduction of value added tax (VAT) in the UAE in January. The exact rules and regulations remain unclear and at the heart of this confusion lies the simple question of whether OAs are tax exempt or not. The catch 22 position revolves…
By Catherine Jaskiewicz A. Setting-up a presence in Oman The Sultanate’s political stability and modern trading system, makes Oman one of the most attractive hubs in the Middle East for international businesses. Setting up a business in Oman can be a cumbersome procedure and it is advisable to involve a locally practicing attorney in…