UAE.. The new Civil Transactions Law enters into force as of today

The new Civil Transactions Law No. (25) of 2025 has entered into force as of today.

The law comes within the framework of efforts aimed at enhancing the empowerment of young people and expanding the scope of their legal capacity to keep pace with social and economic changes, and enhance their ability to assume responsibility and exercise their rights and independence in legal actions.

The most prominent amendments to the law

The amendments included lowering the age of majority from 21 lunar years to 18 Gregorian years, which is the approved age in most comparative legal systems, with the aim of unifying the legal age associated with complete eligibility and achieving consistency with a number of relevant national legislation, including juvenile and labor laws.

This amendment also contributes to aligning the age of civil liability with the age of criminal liability by adopting a unified legal standard for determining eligibility, which enhances the clarity of the legal status of individuals, establishes legislative harmony, and contributes to unifying legal application.

Reducing the age of a minor

The amendments also included lowering the age of a minor who may request permission to manage his money from 18 Hijri years to 15 Gregorian years, to support entrepreneurship and stimulate youth participation in economic activities within an organized and clear legal framework.

Under the provisions of the law, a distinguished minor who has completed fifteen years of age may manage his money and undertake some legal transactions after obtaining permission from the competent court, which is responsible for approving these transactions within the limits permitted by the law.

The law introduced a special provision for people who need assistance and are unable to express their will, as it granted the court the power to appoint a judicial assistant to assist them in actions that require this in their interest.

The law also introduced the “Framework Agreement” system with the aim of organizing recurring or long-term contracts in a more efficient and clear manner, by specifying the basic terms and conditions of future contracts in advance, which contributes to enhancing contractual stability and facilitating transactions.