UAE lowers age of maturity to 18 years in landmark legal shift

UAE announces the passing of a new law on the age of maturity.

The UAE has lowered the age of legal maturity from 21 to 18 under a new federal decree law issuing an updated Civil Transactions Law. The reform also amends the minimum age for guardianship over financial affairs, allowing individuals aged 18 to manage their assets, while permitting those aged 15 to apply for permission to administer their property. The changes are intended to empower young people, support entrepreneurship and strengthen legal protections, including provisions that allow the combination of diya (blood money) with additional compensation to ensure full redress for material and moral harm.

The UAE has issued a federal decree law on civil transactions described as the most comprehensive unified law of its kind, introducing wide-ranging reforms aimed at modernising legal practice and strengthening protections across civil and commercial dealings.

According to the decree, the law introduces clearer rules governing compensation, contracts, insurance, sales and professional activity, aligning the country’s civil legal framework with contemporary economic and social realities.

Among the key changes is the provision allowing diya to be combined with additional compensation or Arsh, ensuring full redress for harm resulting from death or injury where moral or material damages are not fully covered. The law also resolves legal ambiguities that had previously arisen before the courts in such cases.

The legislation establishes a new legal framework for non-profit companies, regulating their operations in line with recent legislative amendments and reinforcing their role in supporting sustainable development.