Law Update

Fraud is, at its core, a crime against trust. In financial markets, that trust depends on genuine payment instructions, reliable electronic records, and systems that verify identity and authority. Saudi law already recognises those trust points: electronic records and signatures are given legal effect under the Electronic Transactions Law, and digital evidence is recognised under the Law of Eviden...

Many sophisticated professionals think their business does not touch digital assets. But if a company sends or receives cross-border payments, manages a payroll with international staff, settles trade-finance transactions, engages with a supply chain, holds treasury reserves, or operates within any sector where a counterparty has offered to pay in digital currency, stablecoins are already part of...

On 14 December 2022, the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) published Part 58 of its courts rules. Part 58 sets out the bespoke rules for disputes involving digital assets in the specialised Digital Economy Court (DEC). Find all the episodes in this edition here , and don’t forget to subscribe! Follow us on LinkedIn   and Instagram for more insights and updates from Al Tamimi & Compan...

Picture this: a branding agency in Dubai Marina is briefed by a luxury hospitality group to design a visual identity for a resort opening on the Palm. The creative director types a detailed prompt into a generative AI tool and, within ninety seconds, has two hundred logo concepts, a colour palette, taglines in three languages, and a set of social media templates. The work is polished, the client i...

Decree-Law No. 102 of 2026 promulgating the Media Regulation Law (the Media Law) was published in Official Gazette issue No. 1811 on 27 September 2026. The Media Law consolidates and repeals the previous statutes regulating media, together with any other provision inconsistent with the provisions thereof, namely: Law No. 3 of 2006 on Printed Matter and Publishing; Law No. 61 of 2007 on Audio-Visua...

The Advertiser Permit was introduced by the UAE Media Council under Decision No. (3) of 2025 and Federal Decree-Law No. (55) of 2023 on Media Regulation, and requires citizens, residents and visitors alike to hold a permit before publishing advertising content on social media in the UAE.   Find all the episodes in this edition here, and don’t forget to subscribe! Follow us on LinkedIn   and Instag...

 The UAE Cyber Security Council (the Council) has issued Version 2.0 of its National Cloud Security Policy (the Cloud Policy), updating the first release that the Council published in May 2023. The Cloud Policy responds to the rapid growth of cloud computing across the UAE, which the Council recognises as a key enabler of digital services, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and the Inter...

The National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) has issued the Non-CNI Private Sector Entities Cybersecurity Controls (NCNICC-1:2025) (Controls), which establish the minimum cybersecurity requirements for private sector entities in Saudi Arabia that are not classified as critical national infrastructure (CNI).  Find all the episodes in this edition here , and don’t forget to subscribe! Follow us on Lin...

 A cyber incident resulting in a personal data breach can affect individuals across several jurisdictions. This may trigger multiple notification obligations, each with its own threshold, timeframe, reporting authority, and requirements.  Find all the episodes in this edition here , and don’t forget to subscribe! Follow us on LinkedIn   and Instagram for more insights and updates from Al Tamimi &a...

 The UAE Space Agency aims to transition 70% of its national space programme funding to the private sector by 2036. Since the enactment of Federal Decree Law No. 46 of 2023 and the issuing of implementing Cabinet Decisions, the UAE’s space law framework now provides greater clarity on licensing, liability, space resources, and incentives. The legal structure has effectively been designed to suppor...

 Oman has significantly amended its Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) through Royal Decree No. 68/2026 (the Amendments), marking the most substantial update to the country’s privacy framework since the law was enacted by Royal Decree No. 6/2022 (the old PDPL).  Find all the episodes in this edition here , and don’t forget to subscribe! Follow us on LinkedIn   and Instagram for more insights and...

In this episode of Tamimi Talks, David Yates and Nileena Alexander discuss AI governance from a practical perspective, exploring how organisations can balance innovation with effective risk management and regulatory compliance. The conversation offers insights into the key considerations for businesses, from establishing clear governance frameworks and accountability to navigating an evolving regu...

Post-completion warranty claims are becoming more visible as private M&A across the Gulf grows in scale and sophistication. Yet establishing a warranty breach is only the starting point. A buyer must still show that the breach caused recoverable loss, quantify that loss on a defensible basis, and navigate the contractual gateways negotiated in the sale and purchase agreement (SPA). This distin...

Distress changes who controls the timetable of an M&A transaction and what a buyer can safely acquire. In Saudi Arabia, a viable transaction may sit outside bankruptcy, within a financial restructuring procedure, or in liquidation. Each route requires close attention to creditor rights, security, valuation, approvals, and the practical continuity of the business. Most distressed M&A transa...

Distress changes who controls the timetable and what a buyer can safely acquire. In Saudi Arabia, a viable transaction may sit outside bankruptcy, within a Financial Restructuring Procedure or in liquidation. Each route requires close attention to creditor rights, security, valuation, approvals and the practical continuity of the business. 

Proving that an M&A warranty was breached is only the beginning. Whether a buyer can recover often depends on causation, valuation methodology and, above all, the drafting of the SPA.  In our latest Corporate Law article, From Breach to Value: How SPA Drafting Determines M&A Warranty Claims, we examine how warranties, indemnities, disclosure, buyer knowledge and contractual limitations sha...

As sovereign wealth funds, family offices and domestic and international financial investors in the UAE (and the wider MENA region) look for more direct and innovative ways to deploy their capital, we are seeing a growing trend for direct participation in an investment fund's General Partner (“ GP ”). This trend is particularly prominent in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (" ADGM "). Wh...

This article considers some of the key legal aspects that commonly arise in structuring and implementing asset deals in Federal Iraq.   In Iraq, there is no standalone M&A code dealing specifically with asset acquisitions. The legal framework is derived from various statutes, including but not limited to the Companies Law No. 21 of 1997, Civil Code No. 41 of 1951, Labour Law No. 37 of 2015, Tr...

Family offices have become active buyers in the region, their patient capital and relationship-led approach are real advantages, but only when paired with institutional standards of financial discipline around valuation, quality of earnings, working capital and cash conversion. 

Deals in the GCC are not slowing down — but the way risk is assessed within them may be evolving. Due diligence in the region has traditionally been a structured, somewhat backward-looking exercise: a review of financial performance, contractual arrangements, regulatory compliance and litigation exposure. These elements remain fundamental, but on their own they may not provide a complete picture o...

Qatar’s investment climate has shifted meaningfully in recent years. The Foreign Investment Law (Law No. 1 of 2019), together with its Executive Regulations (Ministerial Decision No. 44 of 2020), opened the door for non-Qatari investors to own up to 100% of a limited liability company incorporated under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (“ MOCI ”) in most economic sectors. Banking, insurance,...

Warranty and indemnity (“ W&I ”) insurance has become an established feature of sophisticated private M&A involving UAE and KSA targets, particularly in private equity exits, competitive auction processes, and management rollover transactions. It shapes transaction structure from the outset, long before the sale and purchase agreement (“ SPA ”) is agreed. 

The United Arab Emirates has enacted the most significant reform to its civil law framework in four decades. Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, promulgating a new Civil Transactions Law (the " New Civil Code "), came into force on 1 June 2026, repealing and replacing Federal Law No. 5 of 1985 (the " Old Civil Code "). While the New Civil Code preserves the foundational architec...

Every M&A transaction is, at its core, a board-level event. The decision to sell, to acquire, to merge, or to restructure belongs to the directors. So does the legal risk that follows when that decision is poorly made, inadequately documented, or driven by considerations that have nothing to do with the company's and shareholder’s interests. In Jordan, where the statutory framework govern...