The United Arab Emirates has officially lowered the legal age of majority from 21 to 18, introducing a sweeping legal reform that reshapes the regulation of civil transactions and personal legal capacity.
According to the state-run Emirates News Agency (WAM), the new law marks a pivotal legislative milestone within the UAE’s broader national reform agenda, which aims to modernize the legal framework and align it with contemporary social and economic realities.
The legislation is part of an ongoing effort to update national laws through a more practical and coherent approach. It simplifies the interpretation of legal provisions, unifies legal references, and eliminates overlap with recently enacted special laws, ensuring greater consistency across the legal system.
A key feature of the new law is the expanded scope of judicial discretion. Judges are now granted broader flexibility to refer to the principles of Islamic Sharia in cases where no explicit legislative provision exists. Under the reform, if a matter is not governed directly or implicitly by statutory law, the judge may rely on Sharia principles and select the most appropriate solution to achieve justice and public interest, without being bound to a specific Islamic school of jurisprudence.
The law also strengthens the judiciary’s role in responding to the evolving needs of society and the growing complexity of modern civil and commercial transactions. It reflects a legal philosophy that balances codified law with judicial reasoning, allowing courts to adapt rulings to the circumstances of each case.
Additionally, the legislation stipulates that Islamic Sharia provisions shall apply in the absence of specific laws governing cases related to individuals of unknown parentage, as well as matters involving missing or absent persons.
The reform is widely viewed as a significant step in the UAE’s legal modernization process, reinforcing legal clarity, judicial efficiency, and individual autonomy for citizens and residents upon reaching adulthood at 18.
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