Understand the policies, laws and regulations shaping business across China and the UAE.
Business registration · Investment · Taxation · Customs · Trade · Financial regulation · Employment · Visas · Free-zone policies. Every update identifies the issuing authority, jurisdiction, publication date, effective date and official source.
Dubai Law No. 4 of 2026 regulates the occupation and management of shared housing across Dubai, establishing mandatory operational permits and tenant contract registration. Prospective tenants must verify landlord licensing, ensure contracts are logged in the Shared Housing Register, and adhere to health and safety standards. Violations of the shared housing framework incur fines starting from Dh500,000 up to Dh1,000,000.
Government of Dubai / Dubai Municipality & Dubai Land Department
The UAE has revised value-added tax rules governing input tax deductions, narrowing the scope of recoverable employee-related expenses and cash purchases. The new framework took effect on October 1 following guidance published by the Federal Tax Authority on September 28. Tax experts note that labour-intensive companies face heightened compliance procedures and potentially hundreds of thousands of dirhams in added annual costs.
The UAE has ranked first globally among emerging destinations for family offices with an overall score of 74 points, according to Global Citizen Solutions. The country earned perfect scores of 100 in regulation and taxation, with 78 points in financial ecosystem. DIFC housed 1,408 family-related entities by the end of June 2026, marking a 36 percent year-on-year increase.
DIFC-based Black Cloud Solutions has launched ThakAI, an AI-powered regulatory intelligence platform to help businesses comply with UAE laws. The system integrates tracking across corporate taxation, labor rules, licensing, and data protection. The launch follows official data indicating 8,900 compliance inspections and AED 160.33 million in fines in 2025.
United Arab Emirates
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