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The UAE has lowered the legal age of adulthood to 18 as part of a sweeping overhaul of its civil legal framework, a move designed to align civil capacity with modern economic realities and support greater youth participation in the economy.
The change forms part of a newly issued Federal Decree Law promulgating the Civil Transactions Law, which establishes a comprehensive and integrated framework governing rights, obligations, and civil dealings across the country. According to state news agency WAM, the legislation represents a major milestone in the UAE’s ongoing effort to modernise its legal system and improve clarity, consistency, and ease of application.
Under the new law, the age of majority has been reduced from 21 lunar years to 18 Gregorian years, unifying the legal age for full civil capacity. The reform brings civil law into alignment with other national legislation, including juvenile and labour laws, and harmonises civil and criminal responsibility standards. From a business and economic perspective, this provides greater legal certainty for contracts, financial transactions, and employment involving young adults.
The law also lowers the age at which a minor may seek judicial authorisation to manage their own assets from 18 Hijri years to 15 Gregorian years, a move aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship and early economic participation within a clearly defined legal framework.
Beyond age-related reforms, the new Civil Transactions Law introduces broader measures to modernise the UAE’s legal environment. These include clearer rules on contractual capacity, enhanced protections for free will in legal acts, and provisions supporting informed decision-making through mandatory disclosure during pre-contractual negotiations.
From a judicial standpoint, courts are granted broader discretion to apply principles of Islamic Sharia in cases where no explicit legislative provision exists, allowing judges to select solutions that best serve justice and public interest without being bound to a single school of jurisprudence.
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The law also strengthens protections in areas such as property rights, sale contracts, compensation for harm, and corporate structures, while removing overlapping provisions to avoid duplication with existing legislation. Local emirate-level regulations will continue to apply within their jurisdictions, ensuring harmony between federal and local legal frameworks.
Overall, the reduction in the age of adulthood is one of several measures under the new Civil Transactions Law aimed at reinforcing individual legal capacity, supporting economic participation, and providing a more coherent and future-ready legal foundation for businesses and society in the UAE.
