UAE's New Law: Adulthood Starts at 18

New Civil Law Redefines Adulthood at 18 in UAE

The latest legislative change in the United Arab Emirates will significantly impact the lives of young adults and the daily operation of families. According to the new Civil Transactions Law, the age of majority is now set at 18 Gregorian calendar years, instead of the previous 21 lunar years. This amendment is not merely a legal technicality but carries profound social and economic implications, as it grants full legal capacity to those who reach the age of 18.

What Changes at Age 18?

The most important change is that, upon reaching the age of 18, a young person gains full legal capacity, meaning they can independently enter into contracts, manage their assets, take out loans, buy cars, rent apartments, or even start a business. Previously, parental or guardian consent was required for such actions, which is no longer automatically expected.

Banks, schools, landlords, companies, and other institutions previously conducted transactions in the presence and with the consent of parents if the party concerned was younger than 21. Now, with the age limit reduced to 18, parents are relegated to the background, and young people become legally responsible actors.

Parental Consent: No Longer the Default

One of the most quickly noticeable effects of the change is that parental consent is no longer necessary for young people's transactions. In practice, this means, for example, that an 18-year-old student can independently sign a tuition contract or take out a student loan without their parents having a direct legal role.

This change can be particularly thought-provoking in families where a parent has withheld consent for decisions such as leaving home, buying a car, or studying abroad. From now on, neither parent can automatically exercise veto power, so the young adult's decisions carry independent legal weight.

Disputes on Different Grounds

Previously, if a young person between the ages of 18–20 entered into a contract or financial obligation, parents or lawyers often questioned the validity of the deal by referring to the age. This option essentially disappears now. In the future, courts will not examine whether the young person was too young for the decision but rather whether there was deceit, coercion, or exploitation.

In other words, a poorly made financial decision or a "costly lesson" alone does not invalidate the transaction. Adulthood comes with the responsibility and risk falling on the individual's shoulders.

What Does This Mean in Practice?

The new regulation drastically reshapes how young adults participate in everyday life. From now on, they can independently:

open a bank account

rent apartments or cars

start businesses and become company owners

enter into educational contracts

take out loans and legally bind themselves

This is both a great opportunity and a significant responsibility. Financial literacy, basic legal knowledge, and family communication become more important. It's no longer expected that parents handle or approve everything – from now on, the young person makes decisions and bears the consequences.

The Role of Parents: Moral, Not Legal

The legal amendment does not remove parents' moral influence but limits their legal authority. This requires a new balance within families. Parents need to understand that if they provide financial support – such as buying a car for their child or paying rent – it's advisable to document whether the support is a gift, loan, or subject to any condition.

Lack of proper documentation can lead to serious legal disputes later, especially if the support needs to be reclaimed, or if the young person makes a mistake in their independent decisions.

Path to Autonomy

The amendment is not an isolated step but part of a broader legislative process aimed at ensuring greater autonomy for young people. The focus is now not on age but on actual decision-making ability. Courts will still intervene if deception or exploitation can be proven but will not do so just because someone was young and made a bad decision.

This sends a clear message to institutions, companies, and families: the new system follows the workings of the modern world, where 18-year-olds are not children but adults in legal terms.

Summary

The UAE's new civil law is a significant and modern step in reinterpreting the concept of legal adulthood. Introducing the age limit of 18 reflects a modern, responsible model of adulthood, where young people are not merely subjects of parental decisions but independent legal actors in society. At the same time, individual responsibility increases, making awareness, and the development of financial and legal knowledge indispensable.

For families, this requires a new approach, where parents remain advisors rather than decision-makers. Institutions must adapt to the new reality, where an 18-year-old is not just a member of the future generation, but an active, legally capable participant in the present.

(Source: Civil Transactions Law adulthood at 18 years.)