Doing legal business in Abu Dhabi
Middle East conflict – support for members
A significant number of our members are based across the Middle East.
In light of escalating conflict across the region, our immediate concern is the safety and wellbeing of you, your colleagues and your families.
For help and advice, contact our international team: international@lawsociety.org.uk.
We can support with:
- professional and regulatory liaison: we can help facilitate contact with local bars, law societies and regulators in alternative jurisdictions
- engagement with UK government: we can raise any regulatory, mobility, evacuation or consular concerns with the relevant departments on your behalf. We can also connect you with appropriate embassy staff
We also recommend reading the UK government’s UAE foreign travel guidance.
This includes a recommendation to register your presence in the UAE.
Our thoughts are with all those affected. We will continue to monitor developments and offer support as needed.
The UAE is a leading global centre for the legal profession and a key market for English law firms.
It holds the highest number of English and Welsh practising solicitors outside the UK and Hong Kong.
On this page:
The legal profession
Until 2007, Abu Dhabi operated within the UAE Federal Court which applies to all emirates except Dubai and Ra’s al Khaymah, which are not fully integrated into the federal system.
In June 2007, a new law came into force placing Abu Dhabi outside the UAE federal jurisdiction and into an independent local jurisdiction.
UAE federal law recognises three categories of lawyer:
- practising lawyers
- non-practising lawyers
- lawyers in training
Lawyers must satisfy federal and local emirate requirements to practice law in each emirate.
Only practising lawyers can provide legal services in the UAE.
To obtain a practising certificate, local lawyers must:
- be a UAE national
- be at least 21 years of age
- hold a certificate from an accredited university or higher institute
- have carried out at least one year of continuous practical legal training
Legal system and courts
The UAE operates an essentially civil law jurisdiction heavily influenced by French, Roman, Egyptian and Islamic law.
Common law principles, such as adopting previous court judgments as legal precedents, are generally not recognised.
All emirates have secular courts to adjudicate criminal, civil, and commercial matters and Islamic courts to review family and religious disputes.
The legal system currently consists of:
- lower courts
- courts of appeal
- a supreme court
- an independent local public prosecution service
The legal services market
The UAE is a leading global centre for the legal profession and a key market for English law firms.
Outside of the UK and Hong Kong, it holds the highest number of English and Welsh practising solicitors.
The UAE is a member state of the World Trade Organisation and has scheduled commitments to liberalise its legal services sector under the General Agreement on Trade in Services.
Foreign law firms
Foreign law firms must be:
- licensed by the Executive Affairs Authority
- registered with the Department of Planning and Economy
Firms can apply for a licence directly from the Executive Council of the Government of Abu Dhabi (the Executive Council).
To register a branch of a foreign law firm in Abu Dhabi you must:
- have practiced law outside of the UAE for at least 15 years
- have, in aggregate, at least 50 partners
- register the branch with the Abu Dhabi Department of Planning and Economy
- obtain the consent of the Executive Council
The application to the Executive Council must be accompanied by:
- a statement of capabilities or a CV of the firm
- a certificate from the official body under whose supervision the main branch works (such as the law society or bar association)
- a resolution by the firm’s management to open a branch in Abu Dhabi, specifying the name of the resident partner(s) who’ll manage the branch
- a certificate issued by a bank indicating the financial status of the main branch, which should reflect its ability to finance the activities of the branch in Abu Dhabi
- an undertaking by the main office to underwrite the Abu Dhabi branch financially
- a professional indemnity insurance policy that would cover parties that deal with the branch in Abu Dhabi and stating the value of the coverage
- the CVs, academic qualifications and professional licences issued to the legal consultants selected to reside in Abu Dhabi
- a draft plan for training and qualifying UAE law school graduates to carry out legal consultancy work, including training them at the main office
- a statement explaining the added value the branch in Abu Dhabi will bring to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi if the branch is licensed and registered
- an undertaking from the managers of the main branch that the Abu Dhabi branch will carry out its activities according to the highest professional standards
The general secretariat of the Executive Council has the right to:
- request clarifications and additional documents
- communicate directly with the ‘supervisory authority’ in the home country to inquire about any aspect of the documents submitted
- authorise any party it deems appropriate to visit the main office to ascertain the standards maintained by the same
Firms that already have a presence in Abu Dhabi can renew their existing licences, as and when their existing licences expire.
Feedback from UK firms in Abu Dhabi has been that the licensing requirements for social contribution and training of lawyers have, in practise, been very difficult to fulfil.
There are few practising UAE lawyers and taking into consideration the large number of international firms in the emirate, all seeking to fulfil this requirement, it’s been a struggle to find UAE lawyers to train.
As a result, firms are concerned about the prospects of having their licences renewed without having fulfilled this requirement.
Requalifying in England and Wales
Lawyers from abroad and overseas students who wish to qualify in England and Wales need to sit the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE).
The SQE provides a path to the solicitor title through the same exam taken by domestic candidates.
Read our guidance on the SQE for foreign lawyers.
Legal status
The information above does not constitute legal advice. It was drafted by the Law Society of England and Wales on the basis of desk research, bilateral relations with Bars and engagement with members.
The Law Society cannot be held liable for actions taken on the basis of this note or lack thereof. In case of specific queries, we strongly advise you to consider instructing external counsel to obtain advice specific to your business objectives.