United Arab Emirates – Construction & Engineering Laws and Regulations 2026

Humayun Ahmad, Partner, and Karim Haidar, Associate, in the Engineering & Construction practice at Hadef & Partners, contributed the United Arab Emirates chapter to the Construction & Engineering Law 2026, the 13th edition of the International Comparative Legal Guides (ICLG).

The chapter provides a practical overview of the UAE’s construction and engineering legal landscape, covering key areas including making construction projects, supervising construction contracts, common issues arising under construction contracts, and dispute resolution. It also considers important developments under the UAE’s recently enacted Civil Code and their implications for construction projects and contractual relationships.

Please click here to view the copy.

The Legal Consequences of the New Red Sea Maritime Restrictions

In this article, Mohamed Eissa, Partner in the Dispute Resolution team at Hadef & Partners, examines the legal and commercial implications of the Houthi announcement of restrictions on trade with Saudi Arabia. Commercial parties with interests in Saudi trade should now assess their legal and operational exposure across two strategic chokepoints, the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb, at the same time. The article explains why safe-port obligations move to the foreground, how contractual, insurance and crew-related risks may be affected, and what shipowners, charterers, insurers and traders should be doing now.

When crypto goes wrong in the UAE: enforcement, tracing and recovery

Crypto disputes with a UAE nexus are no longer only about blockchain tracing. The key question is often whether there is a UAE touchpoint that can be used to preserve assets, obtain disclosure, engage a regulator or seek urgent relief. Recent UAE virtual asset enforcement developments, including VARA's Investor and Marketplace Alert concerning entities commercially advertising as "KuCoin", highlight how regulatory status, promotion into the UAE and the location of users can become central to investigations, disputes and recovery strategy. In UAE-nexus crypto disputes, the advantage is usually with the party that identifies the touchpoint, preserves the evidence and moves before the assets move again.

United Arab Emirates – Construction & Engineering Laws and Regulations 2026

Humayun Ahmad

Karim Haidar

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