Civil Transactions Law · Federal Decree-Law 25 of 2025
Article 29
Preliminary Section: General Provisions > Chapter One: Provisions on the Application and Temporal and Spatial Scope of the Law > Part Three: Spatial Application of the Law
English translation
The provisions of a foreign law designated by the preceding Articles may not be applied if such provisions are contrary to the public order or public morals in the United Arab Emirates.
Official translation, as published by the portal.
Official Arabic text
لا يجوز تطبيق أحكام قانون أجنبي حددته المواد السابقة إذا كانت هذه الأحكام تخالف النظام العام أو الآداب العامة في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة.
What it means when you sign
This article sets a limit on applying foreign law. A foreign law that the earlier articles point to may not be applied if its provisions are contrary to the public order or public morals in the United Arab Emirates.
The article does not list which provisions count as contrary to public order or public morals. It states the limit in general terms.
When you are about to sign, this article is relevant to contracts governed by a foreign law, especially those with a foreign governing-law clause. It means that choosing a foreign law does not guarantee that every provision of that law will be applied in the UAE. A term that is allowed under the chosen foreign law, but that goes against UAE public order or public morals, may not be given effect. The governing-law clause sets which law applies, but this article sits above it as a limit.
In Fahm reports this article usually sits under: Jurisdiction and enforceability
Related articles
- Article 18This article says which country's law governs property.
- Article 19Cited in Fahm reportsThis article says which country's law governs a contract's obligations, both its form and its substance.
- Article 20This article says which country's law governs obligations that do not come from a contract, such as those arising from an act that causes harm.
- Article 28This article deals with what happens once a foreign law has been found to apply.
- Article 30This article says what happens when a foreign law applies but cannot be established.
- Article 105This article states a principle about using a right.