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.
The Dubai Rental Disputes Centre (RDC) has established a judicial principle permitting landlords or tenants to annul a lease agreement before tenancy begins if deception is proven. The ruling relies on Articles 170 through 173 of the UAE Civil Transactions Law regarding truthful mutual consent. A legal expert noted that the decision restores contracting parties to their pre-signing status once deliberate misrepresentation is established.
The UAE Ministry of Finance has introduced updated rules capping administrative penalties for electronic invoicing violations at Dh50,000 over 12 consecutive months. The amendment also eliminates penalties previously imposed on businesses for failing to report system failures. The revised framework aims to reduce compliance burdens ahead of the mandatory nationwide rollout scheduled for October 1, 2027.
Dubai Municipality has introduced updated urban planning and zoning regulations allowing residential apartment buildings of up to eight floors in Al Satwa. The new rules update longstanding restrictions that previously limited the district mainly to low-rise attached villas. Plots of 1,000 square metres or more qualify for maximum development allowances, encouraging the consolidation of smaller adjoining plots.
Dubai Customs cleared 21.15 million customs declarations in the first half of 2026, with 98% processed automatically. The agency reported 7,871 newly registered companies and a 15.1% year-on-year increase in fulfilled service requests over the period.
Dubai Customs
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Final rule
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