Not only does this dissuade potential investors investing in a country, but it also undermines the rule of law and weakens trust in public and private institutions.

In recent years Emirati legislators have enacted several laws to fight corruption. These include laws combating money laundering, laws criminalizing fronting (which is where a local resident acts as a front to allow a foreigner to undertake activities he would not otherwise be allowed to do) and others suppressing fraud in commercial transactions. There have also been several amendments to the penal code.

The most recent effort by the UAE government to further combat corruption is a proposed new federal law to establish an anti-corruption authority named “The Federal Authority for Combating Corruption”. The law is currently in the form of a bill being scrutinized by the relevant authorities and it is hoped that it will be passed later this year. We have been able to review the bill and this article highlights some of the key features of it.