As some countries open up and economies gradually rebound, there are still prolonged business issues and market trends accelerated by the pandemic that will continue to affect companies across all industries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
In this vlog series, our MENA team of cross-practice specialists provide a quick roundup of the latest legal and commercial developments in the region as well as insights to emerging challenges and opportunities, to guide you as you shape your organization’s business resilience and strategy in the medium and long term.

The UAE Federal Tax Authority (FTA) announced that any person or group proven to have violated the provisions of tax legislation has the right to apply to the FTA to reduce or be exempted from an administrative penalty, provided that there is an excuse acceptable to the FTA, and that there is evidence available justifying the excuse and the violation related thereto, which led to the imposition of an administrative penalty.

Dubai senior associate Andrew Massey discusses the scenarios where the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts take jurisdiction over claims. Andrew also talks about how the DIFC Courts have adopted an expansive approach to jurisdiction over disputes and how it has introduced the necessary and proper party jurisdiction into DIFC law to help resolve multiparty and multijurisdictional disputes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not gone away and the prolonged business issues will continue to affect various market players in the short and long-term. As anticipated, this has resulted to a rise in increasingly complex disputes across all industries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as well…

The UAE Federal Supreme Court recently dismissed an appeal filed by the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) against taxes and administrative fines and penalties imposed by the FTA against a UAE company, a Dubai-based beverage distributor, in connection with excise taxes. Baker McKenzie Habib Al Mulla represented the company. The court also ordered that the FTA repay the full amount of the penalties to the company. This was considered to be the first time the Federal Supreme Court issued a judgment in favor of a taxpayer and removed all taxes and administrative penalties levied by the FTA.

The Abu Dhabi Court of First Instance recently dismissed an appeal filed by the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) against fines and penalties imposed by the FTA against a UAE company, a Dubai based beverage distributor, in connection with excise taxes. Baker McKenzie Habib Al Mulla represented the company. The court also ordered that the FTA repay the full amount of the penalties to the company. The Tax Dispute Resolution Committee had previously ordered the reduction of tax penalties levied on the company from the amount of AED 20.8 million to AED 8.8 million. The FTA appealed to the Court of First Instance against that decision. Baker McKenzie Habib Al Mulla had also represented the company at the Tax Dispute Resolution Committee, and the company counter appealed that no penalties were legally due. The Court of First Instance rejected the FTA’s appeal against the decision of the Tax Disputes Resolution Committee, and allowed the company’s appeal that no penalties should be due.

As the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread across the world, governments are actively working with global and local health authorities to implement nationwide measures to help curb transmission and mitigate virus-related risks as well as offer relief for businesses and individuals in these challenging times. In response, businesses…

As the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread across the globe, businesses are facing weakened financial markets, disruption to workplace operations, and economic uncertainty. We have seen unprecedented measures taken by the UAE to prevent the spread of the disease including mandatory work from home instructions and business shut…

DOWNLOAD PUBLICATION For over three decades, Baker McKenzie Habib Al Mulla has helped businesses optimize opportunities and mitigate risks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and wider Middle East. The 2019 edition of the Doing Business in the UAE is your simple but comprehensive guide to understanding the current investment…