If you know the laws and are willing to accept them, Dubai can be a wonderful place to live. Many expats enjoy the warm climate and wealth of the area, but you have to decide for yourself if this outweighs social restrictions. Under the UAE`s amended laws, many private sector workers will switch from permanent contracts to rolling fixed-term contracts. Stephen Lock/The National Now, experts say, the UAE wants to change its image. The country is in the process of revising laws that affect how it regulates a variety of commercial, cultural and social norms. On paper, this makes the UAE one of the most progressive countries in the region, although critics say the reality remains much more complex. We encourage employers to review their employee manuals and policies, as well as their employment contracts, to ensure that they comply with the new Labour Code and its regulations. Our employment law specialists assist clients with all issues that arise in the workplace on a daily basis, including, but not limited to, compliance with nationalization requirements, claims under local labor laws, and training on applicable labor laws. While recreational drug use is still a criminal offense, laws have been relaxed, meaning people traveling to the country are less likely to be jailed if they bring items like CBD. New labor laws could theoretically improve the rights of migrant workers, who have worked in the UAE for years with minimal protection and are often housed in appalling conditions. But much depends on how these laws are enforced – which, according to experts, remains far from clear. People have a drink at a restaurant overlooking the Marina district of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2019. The country is relaxing its alcohol laws and other restrictions.
Kamran Jebreili/AP Hide the legend On November 28, 2021, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, approved amendments to more than 40 laws in the UAE, the largest legislative reform in its history, which came into effect on January 2, 2022. These include a new law that eases restrictions on extramarital affairs and allows unmarried couples to conceive a child without having to marry, provided the child is recognized and cared for. In addition, both parents must present identity and travel documents in accordance with the laws of their country of origin. Otherwise, criminal proceedings would impose a two-year prison sentence for both parents. Most of the new laws apply to both Emiratis and foreigners. They decriminalize consensual sex before marriage and allow unmarried couples to live together. These changes seem to apply only to heterosexual couples; Same-sex couples were punished. The new laws legalize the consumption of alcohol without a license.
The reforms also toughen penalties for sexual harassment and rape and remove the court`s leniency in dealing with so-called “honour crimes.” We hosted a series of webinars on UAE labour law, where Sara Khoja, Rebecca Ford and Samantha Ellaby highlighted the key operational changes required by the UAE`s new Labour Code. The webinar series explored termination of employment, employment contracts, employer policies, and what the new provisions mean in practice when it comes to discrimination and harassment. Our final webinar covered the key features of the implementing regulations, including hours of work and overtime, vacation, work regulations and non-compete obligations. On November 28, 2021, the United Arab Emirates relaxed its drug laws to reduce sentences for first-time offenders. The new law offers those convicted of drug use and possession the opportunity to attend safe detention with treatment and education programs instead of jail. The deportation of expatriates convicted of drug-related offences is no longer mandatory and is at the discretion of the judge. The minimum prison sentence for first-time offenders was also reduced from two years to three months, as was a fine of between 20,000 and 100,000 dirhams. And under the new financial laws, foreigners can now own businesses without Emirati partners. There are also changes in labour law that regulate working hours. The country now allows civil marriage – not just marriage under Islamic law – a practice that is not available in many other Middle Eastern countries.
And foreigners can follow the laws of their home country in certain areas, such as inheritance and divorce. For expats planning to move to Dubai or other parts of the UAE, check out these 5 laws you need to know before you go. Every year, the UAE makes significant changes to its laws to make it easier for residents to enjoy life in Dubai. From pregnancies outside marriage to easing sentences for drug-related offenses, here are seven new rules introduced in 2021 that you should be aware of. A major update announced in the UAE was the shift of the working week from Sunday to Thursday and then from Monday to Friday. This went into effect on Monday, January 3, 2022 and is only mandatory for government employees, but most private sector companies have followed suit. Other labour laws have been introduced among flexible working hours for the private sector. Decree Law No. 33 of 2021, promulgated on Monday 15 November, gives people in the private sector “the possibility to opt for temporary and flexible work, self-employment, reduced working hours and shared jobs”. In fact, if an employee works 40 hours a week according to his contract, he can now complete the 40 hours in three days if he wishes. The UAE is known as a popular business destination that tends to punish those who violate its conservative Muslim laws.
The laws reflect progressive measures to improve living standards and ensure that the UAE continues to be a destination for people around the world. UAE officials recently told private sector leaders that they must strictly follow these new laws, warning that lack of knowledge cannot be an excuse to break the law. One of the most important developments concerns divorce, separation and the division of property in the event of the breakdown of a marriage. The new laws state that if a couple married in their home country but divorced in the UAE, the laws of the country where the marriage took place will apply. The new law mentions joint assets and joint accounts and that the court could be asked to mediate if there is no agreement between the two parties. The amendments also affect wills and inheritances. So far, family members of a deceased person have been able to determine that assets have been divided under Sharia law, something expats may not be used to. Now, a person`s citizenship determines how their property is divided among their next of kin, unless they have made a will. Kristian Ulrichsen, an expert on the United Arab Emirates and an analyst at Rice University`s Baker Institute for Public Policy, says a key question is how uniformly the new laws will be enforced, especially in the most conservative of the UAE`s seven emirates. For some social laws, he says, “we may not know for two or three years whether there have been any real changes.” Sexuality, alcohol, clothing and even photography are things the government takes very seriously.
As with any expat destination, be sure to do your research before moving abroad to Dubai so you know what you will and will not do when you are there. The amended labour laws, first introduced by the government in November last year, offer options not previously available and strengthen workers` rights. Dubai and the rest of the UAE have a very different political structure than most countries in Europe and North America. Dubai`s religious (especially Muslim) and political system means that the laws are very different from those in other countries in the world. The rules may seem strict for expats, but people usually understand that you may not know what is acceptable. The new laws also provide better protection against harassment. While the fundamental entitlement to annual leave remains unchanged, employers are no longer required to pay for employees` unused leave or allow them to carry forward unused days to the following year, unless the employer has agreed otherwise. Current restrictions require anyone entering the UAE to take a Covid-19 PCR test and present a negative result. The length of time it should be taken varies from country to country, but is usually between 48 and 72 hours. It was recently announced that unvaccinated citizens will no longer be allowed to travel abroad as of January 10, 2022.