RESTRICTED IMAGE - DO NOT USE iStock_000016153672_Large_graph-scaled

UAE Federal Cabinet approves Positive List of activities eligible for up to 100% foreign ownership.

By Christopher Lester and Connie Leung

WAM, the Emirates News Agency, reported on 2 July 2019 (the WAM Report) that the UAE Federal Cabinet has approved 122 economic activities across 13 sectors that will be eligible for up to 100% foreign investment (the July 2019 Cabinet Decision). This approval is the latest development in the UAE’s move towards encouraging foreign direct investment in priority sectors…

RESTRICTED IMAGE - DO NOT USE

Healthcare entities should immediately assess whether Federal Law No. 2 of 2019 applies to their practices.

By Brian A. Meenagh

On 6 February 2019, the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in conjunction with the UAE Minister of Health and Prevention (the Minister) issued a new law on the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in health fields in the UAE. Federal Law No. 2 of 2019 (the Law) entered into effect in May 2019 and will likely affect the activities of a number of entities operating in the healthcare sector in the UAE, including healthcare service providers, life sciences companies, cloud service providers, healthcare IT systems suppliers, and medical insurance providers.

Dubai skyline view from the Marasi marina in city Business bay downtown area in the UAE

The DIFC guidelines provide practical guidance for DIFC-registered entities engaging in electronic direct marketing, including useful “dos” and “don’ts”.

By Brian A. Meenagh, Fiona M. Maclean, and Laura Holden

What Do DIFC-Registered Entities Need to Know?

In January 2019, the Commissioner for Data Protection for the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) issued new Direct Marketing and Electronic Communications Guidelines, aimed at DIFC-registered entities that collect and maintain personal data for electronic direct marketing purposes.

The document provides practical guidance on the rules relating to the collection, maintenance, and use of personal data for electronic direct marketing purposes set out in the Data Protection Law, DIFC Law No.1 of 2007 (DP Law), which is based on the (now superseded) UK Data Protection Act 1998 and EU Data Privacy Directive 1996. However, the guidelines also take into account the latest direct marketing requirements under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive 2002, providing practical examples of “do’s” and “don’ts” for entities to consider. The guidelines also appear to leverage provisions from the October 2018 draft of the EC’s new e-Privacy Regulation (ePR) which is currently anticipated to come into force in 2021.

RESTRICTED IMAGE - DO NOT USE Map pin flat above city scape and network connection concept

United Arab Emirates (UAE) free zones are attractive jurisdictions for early and growth-stage companies. Free zones are designed to encourage startups and foreign investors through simpler processes and procedures, permiting 100% foreign ownership. However, the more than 45 free zones in the UAE each have their own  rules and regulations, so choosing the right free zone can be a complicated decision.

Latham & Watkins, in partnership with VentureSouq, has developed the UAE Free Zone Navigator, an innovative online resource to…

Doctor in white coat

International and local health providers in the UAE are increasingly looking to provide telemedicine services in the region. While the regulation of telemedicine remains inconsistent across the country, Dubai seems to be leading the way with significant regulatory developments in 2017.

Federal Regulatory Landscape

To market healthcare services in the UAE, a healthcare provider must establish a legal presence, hold a commercial licence to do business in the UAE (or in a free zone in the UAE), and possess the…

Emirate of Sharjah cityscape waterfront rising above Al Noor Island at city downtown in the UAE

Four of Latham & Watkins’ leading emerging company partners in Silicon Valley, Luke Bergstrom, Tad Freese, Jim Morrone and JD Marple, recently hosted a webinar titled “Achieving Successful Outcomes as a Non-US Company Investing in or Acquiring Technology Companies in Silicon Valley”. The webinar can be viewed here.

In this blog we have sought to draw out some of the key observations in the webinar that are relevant to Middle East entities considering investing in US technology companies.

Unique…

3d render.

The compliance world will change dramatically for a number of GCC organizations on 25 May 2018. In just over one year’s time GCC organizations that:

  1. have a branch, subsidiary or single representative in the European Union (“EU”);
  2. do not have a physical presence in the EU, but offer goods or services to data subjects in the EU; or
  3. neither have a physical presence in the EU nor offer goods or services to people in the EU, but monitor

…

The use of “unmanned aerial systems” or “drones” for commercial, government and consumer purposes has significantly increased in recent years across the globe. In the UAE, the office of H.H.Drones_002_sngleColClr Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, introduced the Drones for Good Award at the Government Summit held in Dubai in February 2014 to promote the development of drone technology in the consumer market in the UAE.

This post explores the applicable federal and emirate-specific regulations, as well as the various concerns surrounding the use of drones (for commercial, government and consumer purposes).

Regulation at the Federal Level

At the federal level, the main pieces of legislation applicable to the use of drones in the UAE are Federal Resolution No. 2 of 2015 regarding Light Air Sports Practice Regulations (Federal Law) and the Civil Aviation Regulation (CAR) Part VIII Subpart 10 on the Operation of Unmanned Aerial Systems within the UAE (UAS Regulations), and at the emirate level, the Dubai Law No. 7 of 2015 on Airspace Security and Safety in the Emirate of Dubai (Dubai Law).

Bitcoin_002_sngleColClr

This is the first in a series of articles considering legal issues relating to bitcoin, cryptocurrencies and blockchain in the UAE. In this article we focus on the legal status of bitcoin and address the question of whether bitcoin is banned in the UAE. In part two we will consider the case for regulating bitcoin and cryptocurrencies and in part three we will consider legal issues relating to the adoption of blockchain technology by public and private entities in the…

Car Conveyor- 3d rendering.
*

New Regulations balance innovation in the payments sector with safety, security and maintaining the public’s trust in the UAE payment ecosystem.

After a long period of consultation, on 1 January 2017 the Central Bank in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) issued the Regulatory Framework for Stored Values and Electronic Payment Systems (Electronic Payment Regulation). The Electronic Payment Regulation’s key message is that all eligible participating institutions (whether they are banks, payment networks, telecommunications companies, government…