Laws and Regulations Information
UAE laws and regulations are organised in a federal hierarchy. The Constitution sits at the apex, followed in descending order by federal laws and federal decree-laws (which share rank), federal decrees, cabinet resolutions, ministerial decrees and resolutions, and administrative resolutions. Emirate-level instruments operate in parallel for matters within emirate competence and may not contradict federal legislation in fields the federation has occupied. International treaties ratified by federal decree have the force of federal law on entry into force.
This page collects general-overview material on the UAE legal system: sources of law, the institutions of federal government, the position of Sharia in the framework, and the principal regulatory regimes affecting business and individuals. For detailed instruments use the topical subcategories — federal laws, ministerial resolutions, banking, real estate, labour, and others — accessible from UAE laws in English.