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Our Middle East hub — where UAE onshore law, DIFC common law, and the region's most dynamic commercial ecosystem converge in one practice.
Dubai is GSDA's Middle East hub, and for good reason: this is where the deals happen. The emirate's dual legal system — UAE onshore civil law alongside the DIFC common-law framework — demands counsel who operate fluently in both. Most firms here are strong in one system and weak in the other. Our Dubai lawyers are qualified in both, and they use both daily. When a construction arbitration involves a DIFC-registered developer and an onshore contractor, or when an M&A deal requires simultaneous DIFC Courts and Dubai Courts enforcement, our team handles the jurisdictional complexity that makes other firms hesitate.
Dubai's D33 agenda targets doubling GDP by 2033. That ambition is not aspirational — it is backed by real capital, real projects, and real regulatory reform. Our Dubai practice covers the full cycle: structuring the investment vehicle, negotiating the construction contract, advising on RERA compliance for real estate, managing the FIDIC claim when the project runs late, and running the DIAC arbitration when settlement fails. For European companies entering the Gulf through Dubai, our Paris headquarters provides the home-jurisdiction support. For Gulf entities investing in Europe, the same corridor works in reverse. No other firm in this market offers that integrated capability at partner level.
Office Details
Industries we serve
Dubai's construction pipeline — from mega-developments like Dubai Creek Harbour and Expo City to infrastructure expansion — drives one of the region's most active real estate and construction law markets. We advise on SPAs, RERA compliance, off-plan purchase disputes, construction contract claims (FIDIC and bespoke), delay and defect proceedings, and developer-contractor arbitrations.
Dubai's dual financial architecture — the DIFC (home to 3,000+ firms regulated by the DFSA) and the onshore market regulated by the Central Bank and SCA — generates complex legal work in banking, fund formation, securities, Islamic finance, and fintech regulation. We advise financial institutions, family offices, and sovereign wealth funds on regulatory compliance, licensing, and transactional matters.
The UAE Companies Law, free zone regulations, and the new corporate tax regime create a multi-layered corporate structuring environment. We advise on company formation, joint ventures, shareholder agreements, M&A transactions, and restructurings — navigating the interaction between mainland, free zone, and DIFC corporate frameworks.
While Abu Dhabi anchors the UAE's upstream oil and gas sector, Dubai is a regional hub for energy trading, services, and the clean energy transition. We advise on energy contracts, trading agreements, solar and hydrogen project development, and the regulatory frameworks governing DEWA and Dubai's Clean Energy Strategy 2050.
Dubai's ambition to become a global AI and digital economy hub — evidenced by the Dubai Future Foundation, the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), and the D33 agenda — creates demand for legal counsel on technology licensing, data protection (UAE Federal Data Protection Law), virtual asset regulation, and technology venture capital.
The UAE Labour Law reforms of 2022 introduced fixed-term contracts, flexible work arrangements, and new end-of-service benefit structures. We advise employers and senior executives on employment contracts, termination disputes, non-compete enforcement, Emiratisation compliance, and the distinct employment regimes applicable in the DIFC and other free zones.
We represent clients in disputes before the Dubai Courts, DIFC Courts, DIAC, and ad hoc arbitration — including the jurisdictional questions that arise when transactions straddle onshore and DIFC systems. We handle enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards under the UAE's New York Convention obligations.
Dubai's construction market generates high-value disputes. We represent developers, contractors, and subcontractors in FIDIC-based claims, delay and disruption proceedings, defect liability disputes, and payment recovery — in DIAC arbitration, ad hoc proceedings, and the Dubai Courts.
We advise on acquisitions and joint ventures where Gulf and European interests converge — Emirati entities acquiring European assets and European corporates establishing in the UAE. Our Paris office handles the European regulatory side; our Dubai team handles the UAE structuring. One firm, both sides.
We advise on the purchase, sale, and financing of Dubai real estate — off-plan acquisitions to portfolio transactions — including RERA compliance, DLD registration, escrow arrangements, and dispute resolution with developers across freehold, leasehold, and usufruct structures.
We advise on corporate tax implementation, Economic Substance Regulations, AML compliance, VARA virtual asset licensing, and data protection under federal and DIFC regimes. The regulatory landscape here changes fast — our team tracks it in real time.
We advise employers on workforce restructurings, redundancy programmes, and senior executive terminations under both the UAE Labour Law and DIFC Employment Law — including MOHRE complaints, labour court proceedings, and DIFC Court employment claims.
We advise on DIFC entity formation, DFSA licensing, fund structuring (open-ended, closed-ended, and exempt funds), and corporate governance under the DIFC Companies Law. For businesses needing both DIFC and onshore presence, we structure the dual-entity arrangement.
Dubai has over 30 free zones, each with distinct regulations — DMCC, JAFZA, DAFZA, Dubai South, and more. We advise on zone selection, licensing, employment regimes, and the interaction between free zone and mainland operations, including the corporate tax implications.
We advise on Sharia-compliant financing — murabaha, ijara, istisna, wakala, and sukuk — serving both UAE Islamic banks and international financial institutions structuring products for Gulf counterparties. Our documentation bridges Islamic finance requirements with international capital markets standards.
Dubai's VARA framework is one of the world's most developed crypto-asset regulatory regimes. We advise virtual asset service providers on licensing, compliance, and the structuring of tokenised assets — alongside broader technology licensing, SaaS contracts, and data protection advisory.
We advise UHNW families and family offices on corporate structuring, succession planning, real estate holdings, and the establishment of DIFC-based single family office vehicles — coordinating with our Paris office for European asset portfolios.
We advise international companies bidding on UAE government contracts — navigating procurement requirements, Emiratisation obligations, and the specific compliance standards required by Dubai government entities and GREs.
Regulatory environment
The UAE operates a federal civil-law system derived from Egyptian law (itself modelled on the Napoleonic Code), supplemented by Sharia principles in personal status matters. Dubai's onshore legal framework is governed by UAE federal legislation — the Civil Transactions Law, the Commercial Transactions Law, the Companies Law, the Labour Law — alongside Dubai-specific legislation such as the RERA regulations for real estate and the Dubai Economic Security Centre provisions. The Dubai Courts (Court of First Instance, Court of Appeal, and Court of Cassation) adjudicate onshore disputes, with proceedings conducted primarily in Arabic.
The DIFC operates as a legally distinct jurisdiction under the UAE Constitution, with its own common-law framework, English-language courts (DIFC Courts), and independent regulator (the Dubai Financial Services Authority, DFSA). The DIFC Courts — staffed by judges from England, Singapore, Australia, and other common-law jurisdictions — hear cases arising from DIFC-registered entities or where parties have opted into DIFC jurisdiction. The DIFC-LCIA Arbitration Centre (now integrated into the Dubai International Arbitration Centre, DIAC) administers international arbitration proceedings under LCIA Rules. GSDA's dual-qualified team operates across both systems — a critical capability, as many commercial transactions involve entities, assets, or obligations in both the onshore and DIFC jurisdictions.
Key regulatory bodies include the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) for capital markets, the Central Bank of the UAE for banking regulation, the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) and Dubai Land Department (DLD) for property matters, and the various free zone authorities (DMCC, JAFZA, DAFZA, Dubai South) that each maintain their own regulatory frameworks. The recent introduction of federal corporate tax (9% above AED 375,000 threshold) and the UAE's implementation of the OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) framework have added significant new compliance obligations for businesses operating in the emirate.
The GSDA advantage
GSDA's Middle East hub and the coordination centre for our entire Gulf practice — connecting Dubai to our offices in Riyadh, Doha, Manama, Kuwait City, Muscat, and Cairo.
True dual-jurisdiction capability: lawyers qualified to practise in both UAE onshore and DIFC legal systems, eliminating the gaps that arise when firms operate in only one framework.
Seamless Europe–Gulf bridge through our Paris headquarters — essential for the French, European, and Francophone African businesses that use Dubai as their regional base, and for Gulf entities investing in Europe.
Deep construction and real estate expertise in one of the world's most active development markets — from FIDIC contract advisory to high-value arbitration.
Trilingual team operating in English, Arabic, and French — reflecting the languages of Dubai's international business community and the firm's cross-cultural DNA.
GSDA navigated our construction dispute through both the Dubai Courts and the DIFC in parallel — something that required deep knowledge of both legal systems. Their Paris connection also helped us coordinate with our French parent company throughout the process.
Regional Legal Director, European Construction & Engineering Group
Our Dubai office advises on real estate and construction, corporate structuring and M&A, banking and finance, employment law, technology regulation, energy contracts, and dispute resolution — under both UAE onshore law and the DIFC common-law framework. We handle domestic UAE matters and cross-border transactions involving the Gulf, Europe, and North Africa.
Yes. Our lawyers practise in both the UAE onshore system (Dubai Courts) and the DIFC common-law system (DIFC Courts). This dual capability is essential in Dubai, where many commercial transactions involve entities, contracts, or assets that touch both jurisdictions. We also represent clients in DIAC arbitration and ad hoc proceedings.
Real estate is a core practice area. We advise on off-plan and resale purchases, portfolio transactions, developer agreements, RERA compliance, DLD registration, escrow arrangements, and the resolution of real estate disputes. Our work covers freehold, leasehold, and usufruct properties across mainland Dubai and free zones.
We advise on DIFC entity formation, licensing applications, DFSA regulatory compliance, fund structuring, and corporate governance under the DIFC Companies Law. For businesses requiring both a DIFC and onshore presence, we structure the dual-entity arrangement and advise on the regulatory obligations of each.
Our Dubai office works closely with our Paris headquarters, which is only a 7-hour direct flight away. This connection is essential for the significant volume of Franco-Gulf and Euro-Gulf commercial activity — French companies expanding to Dubai, Gulf entities acquiring European assets, and cross-border disputes that require coordinated legal strategy across jurisdictions.
Construction dispute resolution is one of our strongest capabilities in Dubai. We handle FIDIC-based claims, delay and disruption proceedings, defect liability disputes, and payment recovery actions in DIAC arbitration, ad hoc arbitration, and the Dubai Courts. Our Paris-trained civil-law perspective enhances our approach to the UAE's civil-code construction law framework.
Our Dubai team operates in English, Arabic, and French. English is the dominant language for DIFC matters and international commercial transactions. Arabic is required for Dubai Courts proceedings and government regulatory filings. French serves our Francophone African and French corporate clients who use Dubai as their Middle East gateway.
We advise businesses on compliance with the UAE corporate tax regime introduced in 2023, including taxable income calculations, free zone qualifying income provisions, transfer pricing requirements, and the interaction between corporate tax obligations and existing free zone incentives. We work with specialist tax advisors to deliver integrated structuring advice.
