LGBTI rights: Consensual same-sex conduct is criminalized in the UAE. Penalties may include fines and imprisonment. According to Sharia interpretations, the penalty could include the death penalty. Although the U.S. Embassy and Consulate General are not aware of any recent arrests or prosecutions for such activities, they remain illegal. Cross-dressing is also a criminal offence and it appears that the government has taken action against transvestite people. For more information, please see our LGBTI tourism information page and section 6 of our Human Rights Report. As required by law, companies must inform APD in advance (depending on the type of personal data and the purpose of the processing) or obtain prior permission from APD to process the personal data. Please note that in case of authorization, compliance with certain legal conditions is mandatory. APD is entitled to exempt certain processing operations from the reporting obligation. Apostasy is a crime punishable by death in the United Arab Emirates. [41] [42] Blasphemy is illegal, expatriates who insult Islam are punished with expulsion. [43] The UAE includes Hudud crimes of Sharia law in its penal code – apostasy is one of them.
[44] Articles 1 and 66 of the UAE Penal Code require that Hudud crimes be punishable by death; [44] [45] Therefore, apostasy in the UAE is punishable by death. Some skin care products and e-cigarette refills may contain ingredients that are illegal in the UAE, such as CBD oil. If you are found in possession of these products, they will be confiscated and you could be prosecuted. A list of narcotics, psychotropic and controlled drugs to which this rule applies, the permitted quantities and the documents that must be submitted is available on the website of the Ministry of Health of the United Arab Emirates. There are generally no minimum capital requirements for foreign branches operating in free zones. The UAE government requires all residents of the country to have a national ID card. U.S. citizens working or living in the UAE should visit the Emirates Identity Authority website for more information on card registration procedures and requirements. Under the CDC, foreign investors can do business through an LLC. This is a popular method of doing business in the UAE in all areas of business, except banking, insurance, and financial investments, which are not legally allowed to be made by an LLC. Emirati women must obtain permission from a male guardian to marry for the first time or before the age of 25. [72] This requirement has been a federal law since 2005.
[72] In all Emirates, it is illegal for Muslim women to marry non-Muslims. [73] Business insolvency in the UAE is governed by federal law by Decree No. 9 of 2016 on Bankruptcy (available in Arabic), which entered into force in December 2016. The law provides a legal framework to help struggling businesses in the UAE avoid bankruptcy and liquidation through various mechanisms, including: Many prescription and over-the-counter drugs are banned in the UAE, and possession of these substances without proper authorization is generally treated in the same way as possession of illegal narcotics. For more information on prohibited medicines, please see the section on medicines under Entry, Exit and Visa Requirements and on the website of the UAE Ministry of Health. This would require companies to develop policies and procedures, assign roles and responsibilities, formalize a risk management program, and establish effective governance and compliance mechanisms to effectively manage privacy risks and ensure compliance with the requirements of the UAE PDP. In order to meet the UAE government`s requirements for school enrollment and residency sponsorship for family members, U.S. citizens who intend to bring their family to live with them in the UAE must have their marriage certificate and birth certificates of their children or, where applicable, custody/adoption orders certified by the state where the document was issued, the Department of State in Washington, DC, and the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Washington, DC. The U.S.
Embassy and Consulate General cannot authenticate personal, academic, or business documents issued by the United States, even if such documents have already been certified by the U.S. Department of State`s Office of Authentication. More information on the legalization of documents can be found on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and on the websites of the embassy or consulate general. The responsibility for managing an LLC can be transferred to the foreign partner or to a third party. It is possible to conclude a plan of arrangement with the UAE national partner to protect and define the interests of the minority partner, especially in situations where the minority partner effectively provides all the capital of the company. However, it should be clear that the UAE national will legally own at least 51% of the company. Any attempt to transfer shares relating to this minimum threshold is void under Article 10 CCL. The UAE PDP law recognizes “consent” as one of the legal bases for processing activities.
The PDP clarifies requirements for the use and management of consents such as the GDPR, which requires companies to assess traditional practices and assess the validity of obtaining consent. For consent to be valid, it must be voluntary, explicit, unconditional, specific and informed. International transfers of personal data to countries that do not ensure an adequate level of protection are subject to prior approval by the DPA, which is only granted if certain conditions are met. In the case of transfers between entities of the same group, the requirement of an adequate level of protection may be met through the adoption of harmonised and binding corporate rules on data protection and privacy. Many free zones still have a deadline, some have already passed the procedures and set the deadline for submission at 15 June 2021. Other results can be found here: www.pwc.com/m1/en/services/tax/me-tax-legal-news/2020/uae-cabinet-decision-no-58-2020-regulating-beneficial-owner-procedures.html DIFC is a financial centre that attracts a number of financial service providers as well as insurance companies and legal service providers.