Federal Decree-Law No. 51/2023 Promulgating the Financial Reorganisation and Bankruptcy Law (the Bankruptcy Law) introduced a new bankruptcy regime in the UAE, but left a number of key issues to be addressed under later implementing regulations. These regulations have now been issued under Cabinet Decision No. 94/2024 on the Implementing Regulation of the Financial Restructuring and Bankruptcy Law (the Implementing Regulations).
In this article, James Hyne and Nicola Jackson, Partners in Charles Russell Speechlys’ Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency team, based in the
The New Bankruptcy Law (Federal Law Decree No 51 of 2023) came into effect in UAE on 1 May 2024, replacing the previous law (Federal Decree-Law No 9 of 2016). While maintaining much of the old law's structure, it introduces significant changes for creditors and debtors, including the recognition of both natural and legal persons as 'debtors'. The law retains emergency financial crisis provisions from the old law and is expected to impact restructuring and insolvency cases in the UAE.
Introduction
Introduction
Two shareholders of KBBO have obtained recognition in the English High Court of their Abu Dhabi bankruptcy process.
In brief
The UAE has issued Federal Law No. 48 of 2023 in relation to insolvency (the "New Insolvency Law"), which replaces Federal Law No. 9 of 2016 and comes into effect on 1 May 2024. Although the previous law was more progressive compared to the previous insolvency articles embedded in the old Commercial Code of 1993, at least in relation to the numerous insolvency matters and other protective composition and restructuring witnessed by the courts.
We have set out below some of the key characteristics of the New Insolvency Law:
On 31 October 2023, the Federal Decree-Law No. 51 of 2023 on Financial Restructuring and Bankruptcy (the Bankruptcy Law) was published in the UAE Gazette. The Bankruptcy Law replaces the Federal Law No. 9 of 2016 on Bankruptcy (as amended) (the 2016 Law).
The aim of the Bankruptcy law is to introduce a modern, streamlined and business-friendly approach to restructuring in the UAE (except for the DIFC and ADGM freezones, which have their own insolvency regimes).
Key Changes
On 31 October 2023, Federal Law No. 51 of 2023 Promulgating the Financial and Bankruptcy Law (the Bankruptcy Law) was published in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Official Gazette, repealing the prior federal law on bankruptcy (Federal Law No. 9 of 2016, the Prior Law) and significantly developing the bankruptcy regime in the UAE.
Key Takeaways
Article 319(1) of the UAE Civil Procedure Law authorises an execution judge to imprison a debtor who fails to satisfy a judgment debt, unless the debtor is able to prove that he is insolvent.
In 2016, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) witnessed significant development in the country’s legal framework for handling corporate insolvencies with the introduction of the Federal Decree-Law No. 9/2016 on Bankruptcy (“Bankruptcy Law”).