UAE to Lower Legal Age of Adulthood to 18 in June 2026

The UAE Government will lower the legal age of adulthood from 21 to 18 beginning June 1st, 2026, under a new Federal Decree-Law promulgating the Civil Transactions Law. Under the updated framework, adulthood will be defined as 18 Gregorian years, replacing the previous threshold based on lunar Hijri years.
Officials stated that the change is intended to unify the legal age of full capacity across legislation while aligning civil responsibility standards with existing juvenile and labour laws.
The update also lowers the age at which minors can independently manage financial assets from 18 lunar years to 15 Gregorian years. According to officials, the move is designed to encourage entrepreneurship and expand youth participation in economic activity. Because lunar years are approximately 10 to 12 days shorter than Gregorian years, the previous adulthood threshold of 21 lunar years was equivalent to roughly 20 and a half Gregorian years.
The revised Civil Transactions Law establishes a broader legal framework governing contracts and legal dealings between individuals and entities. The legislation includes provisions aimed at strengthening legal capacity protections and safeguarding free will in contractual agreements. The law also introduces rules governing pre-contract negotiations, requiring parties to disclose key information to support informed decision-making and reduce legal disputes.
Additional updates cover nonprofit companies, sales contracts, insurance provisions, and works contracts as part of a wider overhaul of civil transaction regulations in the UAE.