Dubai: The Dubai Economic Council (DEC) recently met for its first session of 2012 to review and discuss drafts of the financial restructuring and bankruptcy law and the Commercial Companies law. Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Supreme Fiscal Committee, stressed that the update in the laws would strengthen the business environment and makes it attractive to local and foreign investments, and a driving force for higher competitiveness.   http://www.zawya.com/story/Economic_Council_in_Dubai_reviews_laws_to_create_better_business_climate-GN_05052012_060526/

The Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) is planning to issue instant trade lic-ences to investors under a new ‘120 days hassle free licence’ initiative that will be launched this year. http://gulfnews.com/business/economy/dubai-to-issue-investors-instant-trade-licences-1.999287

DUBAI – The second annual Financial Thought Leaders, or FTL Summit opened on Wednesday at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Dubai.

Great interview with Philip O’Riordan, Partner Corporate Dept. from law firm Clyde & Co. looking at what we can expect from the new UAE companies law http://www.zawya.com/middle-east/radio/default.cfm/sidDE120305064051062521/Philip_ORiordan_Partner_Corporate_Dept_at_law_firm_Clyde__Co_looks_at_what_we_can_expect_from_the_new_UAE_companies_law/ Clyde and CO are also particiapting at PartnerME 2012 alongside Links Group to offer advice on the wealth of business opportunites in the UAE. For more  information on the two events Links Group are participating in this week please view UKTI and CT Group Travel

SME finance and bounced cheques highlight of first quarterly business groups, councils roundtable discussion Dubai-UAE: Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently convened the first quarterly roundtable discussion of the year with a large number of representatives of Dubai’s Business Councils and Business Groups operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chamber. The meeting, which came as part of Dubai Chamber’s strategy to reinforce two-way communication with all its stakeholders and to play a strategic role [...]

UAE initiative to reduce red tape is regarded as insufficient to create level playing field in wider region. Dubai: A new law that reduces red tape for Gulf companies looking to set up shop in the UAE has been welcomed by analysts. But they warn that the region is still far from being a level playing field. The rules, which allow Gulf companies to easily open branches in the UAE even if they have no [...]

It has been quite a year for Lubna Qassim. In December 2010, she was brought in by Sultan Al Mansouri, the Minister of Economy, to oversee the passage into law of some of the biggest and most eagerly awaited economic reforms in the country in a generation. In recent months, the 35-year-old lawyer’s work has begun to bear fruit. In November a draft bankruptcy law designed to support struggling companies was delivered to the Ministry [...]

Dubai Property companies based in the emirate are to receive new training in an attempt to boost transparency and enhance foreign investment in the market, the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Rera) said. The training, which begins later this month, is centred around the implementation of the governance charter and will be conducted in three phases. http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidGN_12012012_130126/Real_estate_companies_will_be_trained_in_corporate_governance

Foreign companies setting up in specialised economic zones or making major investments in strategic sectors such as tourism and manufacturing may obtain full equity ownership, said Abdullah Al Saleh, Undersecretary in the UAE Ministry of Foreign Trade. His comments clarified a doubt on the draft companies law approved by the UAE cabinet last week. The law will allow the cabinet to issue a resolution specifying the types of businesses and sectors in which a foreign [...]

The UAE is ready with the first draft of a new Federal Insolvency Law, which will be presented to the Cabinet early next year once a technical committee completes a thorough evaluation of its provisions, a senior official from the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. “The UAE Ministry of Finance was mandated with the responsibility of creating a draft law dealing with insolvency and bankruptcy. The Ministry completed the draft and passed it on a [...]