In UAE, Adult Age Limit Is Now 18, Not 21

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Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates has introduced key amendments to its Civil Transactions Law, as part of a broader effort to modernise the country’s legal framework. Under the updated law, the age of full legal capacity has been lowered from 21 years to 18 years, aligning the UAE more closely with international legal standards. This change allows individuals aged 18 and above to independently enter contracts, manage assets, and exercise full civil rights without the need for parental or guardian approval.

In a further significant shift, the law allows minors aged 15 and above to apply to the courts for permission to manage their own assets, subject to judicial supervision. Legal experts say this provision recognises the evolving maturity and responsibilities of young people, while maintaining safeguards to protect their financial interests. Similar approaches exist in several other jurisdictions, where courts assess a minor’s ability to handle assets on a case-by-case basis.

The age-related reforms are part of a wider overhaul aimed at clarifying legal obligations and reducing ambiguity in civil dealings. According to official UAE legislative explanations and legal analysts cited by regional and international media, the changes are intended to provide greater certainty in contracts, inheritance matters, and financial transactions, particularly in a country with a large expatriate population and a youthful demographic.

One notable component of the reform concerns expat assets. Where a foreign resident dies in the UAE without a will and without identifiable heirs, their financial assets may now be automatically placed into a charitable endowment (waqf) under official supervision. This approach is intended to provide clearer mechanisms for managing heirless estates and reflects growing emphasis on legal certainty for expatriates, who make up a large share of the country’s population and economic contributors.

Contractual relationships are also reshaped by the new law. It may introduce broader contract registration requirements for enforceability, impose clearer pre-contract disclosure obligations, and enhance buyer rights, including options to reject defective goods or seek replacements. Compensation provisions may go beyond traditional blood money in serious injury or death cases, offering fuller remedies where material or moral harm is not fully addressed under prior rules.

These civil law reforms form part of a wider UAE effort to strengthen its legislative landscape in support of economic diversification and legal clarity  an initiative that also includes updates in labour, personal status, and commercial law and to position the country as a modern legal jurisdiction attractive to residents and international investors alike.