UAE legal reforms 2025: How the nation reshaped its laws

Changes covered drug control, financial regulation, digital safety, among others

- Gulf News Report

The UAE issued a series of federal laws and decrees in 2025, introducing wide-ranging reforms that touched on drug control, financial regulation, digital safety, health care and criminal justice, as the government moved to update its legal framework in step with economic, social and technological change.

Drug control

One of the most significant changes came in the area of drug control. The UAE issued a federal decree-law establishing the National Anti-Narcotics Authority; a specialised body tasked with coordinating and leading national efforts to combat drugs and psychotropic substances.

The authority was given a broad mandate, including setting national strategies, unifying databases and strengthening coordination between security, health and awareness bodies.