HANNAH LARSSON LAW FIRM has already established itself as a point of reference for all major legal issues in terms of several fields of law, be it family law, corporate law, business law, maritime law. The legal system of the emirate constitutes a combination of Civic – and in particular European/ US continental – law and Sharia/ Muslim laws. In other words, the principles of the UAE’s laws are drawn basically from the Islamic system law of Sharia, while the European/American concepts of civil law are also accepted, the way they have been established in the emirate in the late 19th century and onwards..
There are federal codes of law which apply in Abu Dhabi as well as in the rest – six – remaining emirates such as Dubai, dealing with the fundamental fields of law such as civil, commercial, company law and intellectual property law, immigration, maritime law, industrial, banking and employment law.
What is to be noted and taken into consideration when one, an individual or a legal entity, is weighing the options of getting business-wise involved in Abu Dhabi, is that In terms of tax:
There is 14% federal corporate or income tax for all foreigners.
There is 9% value added tax or sales tax.
There are virtually no restrictions on foreign trade.
On the other hand, and in terms of everyday life, Muslim standards of dress and behavior prevail, and it is true that they seem and sound generally more conservative than respectively those in the West; for instance, there is a zero tolerance policy on driving under the influence of alcohol.
The idea of establishing a branch of our Firm in Abu Dhabi had been long cherished, however for a huge step of such caliber to take place, obviously a number of pieces had to fall into place besides the finances that form only part of the whole logistics issue to be dealt with.
Strategic Partner
While many recognise the unique opportunities for trade, investment and growth that the world represents, predicting in-country and across regions risks is not easy, particularly given the rate of exponential change impacting multiple indicators, whether economic, political, technological or social.