In what could prove to be a landmark judgment, a Dubai court ruled earlier this month that the directors of a company in bankruptcy should be personally liable for the company’s debts, to the sum of almost AED 450,000,000 (around US$ 122,000,000).

Article 144 of Federal Law No.9 of 2016 (the “Bankruptcy Law”) allows a court to order directors to pay a bankrupt company’s debts where:

Arbitration and insolvency law in Dubai - is there a link?

Try to imagine a legal system without an effective insolvency law, as in Dubai. How would creditors recover their entitlements? Does it lead to more arbitration activity? Does it explain why the Dubai International Arbitration Centre had over 300 new cases last year and why arbitration is increasingly used?

Insolvency law - is it really necessary?

Dubai currently has no effective insolvency law. Try to imagine it: How would creditors recover their entitlements? Does it lead to more arbitration activity? Does it explain why the Dubai International Arbitration Centre received more than 300 new cases last year and why arbitration is increasingly used?

Insolvency Law—Is It Necessary?

There has been a lot of excitement generated around the fact that the UAE has finally adopted a Federal bankruptcy law. But this is not strictly accurate. Although the new Federal Bankruptcy Law No. 8 of 2016 (BL) is the first standalone bankruptcy legislation coming into force end of December 2016, the UAE has had a bankruptcy regime since 1993, laid down in the Commercial Transactions Code (CTC). However, it was rarely used.

The UAE has pioneered a new insolvency regime for individuals or natural persons with the issuance of the stand-alone Insolvency Law No. 19 of 2019 (Insolvency Law), which has come to effect as of 30 November 2019.

The Insolvency Law is intended to provide sufficient protections to natural or civil persons who are facing financial distress and are unable to settle their debts, unlike the UAE Bankruptcy Law which regulates commercial companies and individuals considered as traders under the Commercial Transactions Code.

The UAE has issued by Decree Federal Law No. (10) of 2018 on Netting (theUAE Netting Law), with the aim of strengthening the regulatory framework for the settlement of obligations arising from qualified financial contracts. Parties to a contract previously relied on Article 183 of Federal Law No. (9) of 2016 on Bankruptcy (the Bankruptcy Law) to settle debts agreed to under a contract, provided that it is within the context of insolvency and that such contract does not fall within the claw-back provisions (Article 168 of the Bankruptcy Law).

In brief

In addition to the comprehensive economic support and stimulus program launched by the UAE Central Bank to curb the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UAE has introduced radical amendments to the UAE Bankruptcy Law, offering distressed debtors with some level of leniency during these times of economic uncertainty and market disruption caused by circumstances outside of their control.

The UAE has pioneered a new insolvency regime for individuals or natural persons with the issuance of the stand-alone Insolvency Law No. 19 of 2019 (Insolvency Law), which has come to effect as of 30 November 2019.

The Insolvency Law is intended to provide sufficient protections to natural or civil persons who are facing financial distress and are unable to settle their debts, unlike the UAE Bankruptcy Law which regulates commercial companies and individuals considered as traders under the Commercial Transactions Code.

Draft new insolvency law for the UAE - is a big clean-up of delinquent debtors on the way?

It has been widely reported that the new insolvency law in the UAE is substantially progressed, with the UAE Federal Cabinet expected to review it in the early part of this year.

In our October 2010 edition of Middle East Exchange, we looked at the general duties which directors and managers of UAE companies owe to their companies and their shareholders. In this edition, we consider the position where the company's financial position deteriorates. As directors or managers struggle with the inevitable commercial and operational pressures, what additional legal responsibilities and potential liabilities does UAE law place upon them?