1971
Legislation
The Union
The Provisional Constitution created a federation of seven emirates with divided federal and emirate competences — the structure that still explains why Dubai and Abu Dhabi feel like different markets.
The legal time machine
From the majlis of the pearling coast to the law of 2040.
The UAE rewrote its commercial law in a single lifetime. Move along the line and watch the legal system arrive.
A federation writes its commercial code
1981
Legislation
Commercial Agencies Law
Federal Law 18 of 1981 gave registered local agents powerful protection. Decades of market entry strategy have been shaped by the wish to avoid being locked into one.
1985
Commerce
Jebel Ali Free Zone
JAFZA introduced 100% foreign ownership inside a defined perimeter — the invention that made the UAE a hub rather than a market.