ABU DHABI - The United Arab Emirates continued throughout 2024 to modernise its legislative system, ensuring it remains aligned with current demands and anticipates future developments.

This approach emphasises streamlining regulations, simplifying procedures, and clarifying roles and responsibilities.

In 2024, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued a Federal Decree establishing the International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council. The council is responsible for supervising international humanitarian and philanthropic affairs.

Additionally, the year witnessed the launch of several humanitarian initiatives in the UAE. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed issued a Federal Decree to establish Erth Zayed Philanthropies, honouring the legacy of generosity instilled by the Founding Father of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and passed down through generations and embraced by the people of the UAE.

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has issued a Federal Decree to establish the UAE Aid Agency, affiliated with the International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council. The agency shall have an independent juridical personality and full legal capacity to act.

The agency is tasked with implementing foreign aid programmes in line with the general policy for international humanitarian affairs.

The Government of the United Arab Emirates has issued a Federal Decree-Law amending some provisions of the Federal Decree-Law on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Financing of Illegal Organisations.

The Decree aims to advance the legal framework supporting the efforts of the country’s relevant authorities in charge of combating financial crimes. It also aims to consolidate the UAE's technical compliance with international recommendations and treaties in the matter. The amendments include the establishment of the National Committee for Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Financing of Illegal Organisations, to be formed by a Cabinet decision.

The UAE Government has issued a Federal Decree-Law amending specific provisions of the Federal Decree-Law Regarding the Regulation of the Employment Relationship, known as the “UAE Labour Law”.

This decree aims to ensure the efficiency and competitiveness of the labour market, regulate employment relationships, clearly define the rights and obligations of all parties involved, and ensure their protection by law.

The decree imposes fines of no less than AED100,000 and no more than AED1 million on any employer who employs workers without a proper permit, hires workers or brings them to the country and fails to provide them with a job, misuses work permits, or shuts down a business or suspends its activities without settling workers' rights, in violation of the new decree and its Executive Regulations. The same penalties apply to the illegal employment of minors or allowing minors to work in violation of the law by their guardians.

The Cabinet approved a decision to issue a federal law on combating communicable diseases, as well as a decision on the executive regulations of the federal decree concerning financial restructuring and bankruptcy. It also approved a decision on the executive regulations of the federal decree concerning maritime law.

The Cabinet approved a decision to issue a federal law on combating communicable diseases. The legislation details provisions necessary to establish a legislative framework that responds to the requirements of combating communicable diseases.

The Cabinet also approved a decision on the Executive Regulations of the federal decree-law concerning financial restructuring and bankruptcy. A decision on the Executive Regulations of the federal decree-law on maritime law has been also approved to protect the UAE’s maritime interests, marine safety, and marine environment.

The Cabinet also approved legislation on the Unified List of the violations and administrative fines for the violations of measures to combat money laundering and terrorism financing that are subject to the supervision of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Economy.