Federal Decree-Law No. (26) of 2024 Repealing Certain Federal Laws

Purpose and legislative background

The measure removes obsolete federal statutes from the legislative system while avoiding an abrupt loss of certain existing scholarship and student-support arrangements.

No amendment was identified in the official source reviewed on 31 August 2026. The central legal effect is the express repeal and transitional treatment stated in the decree-law.

Scope and who it applies to

• Federal authorities responsible for laws expressly repealed by the decree-law.
• Beneficiaries and administrators of scholarship/student-aid arrangements preserved by the transitional provision.
• Public entities applying rules that depended on any of the repealed federal laws.

Key definitions

• This short decree-law does not establish a broad standalone definitions regime; its operation depends mainly on identifying the seven repealed laws and the transitional scholarship arrangements.

Main rights and obligations

• Federal entities must cease relying on the repealed laws as an operative legal basis except where a transitional rule expressly preserves an effect.
• Administrators of preserved scholarship/student-aid arrangements should verify eligibility and the continuing legal basis before stopping or extending support.

Procedures and compliance

• Identify whether the matter arose under one of the seven listed laws.
• For scholarships/student aid, determine whether an existing decision is protected by Article 2.
• Identify any successor statute, Cabinet resolution, ministerial decision or sector regulation now governing the relevant subject.

Deadlines and time limits

• Effective date: 1 October 2024.
• No general filing deadline is created by this decree-law; transitional scholarship arrangements must be assessed under Article 2 and any applicable implementing decisions.

Enforcement, violations and penalties

['The decree-law is primarily repealing and transitional legislation. It does not create a general standalone criminal-penalty regime.']

Source distinction: A penalty or enforcement measure stated as part of the legislation must be checked against the enacted article. Administrative details may be supplied by Cabinet, ministry, regulator or judicial-authority instruments. The practical commentary here is not a substitute for those instruments.

Practical scenarios

1. A federal department reviewing an old procedure finds that its cited legal basis is Federal Law No. 17 of 2004. The department should verify the successor legal framework rather than continue relying on the repealed statute.
2. A student receiving support under a pre-existing scholarship decision should not assume the repeal automatically ends the support; Article 2 must be reviewed against the specific arrangement.
3. A legal researcher updating internal manuals should remove obsolete references and map each repealed law to any later legislation or administrative framework.

Amendments and related legislation

No amendment was identified in the official source reviewed on 31 August 2026. The central legal effect is the express repeal and transitional treatment stated in the decree-law.

Related legislation and official guidance listed in the manifest and research notes should be checked together with the principal law, especially where the principal law delegates detail to an executive regulation, Cabinet resolution, regulator rule or judicial guide.

What businesses and individuals should check

• Check whether a transaction or administrative process relied on one of the seven repealed laws before treating an old rule as still operative.
• For scholarship/student-aid matters, review the transitional provision before assuming all pre-existing entitlements ended immediately.
• Use the official Arabic text and any successor legislation to identify the present legal basis for a field formerly governed by a repealed law.
• Confirm that the version of the law and implementing instruments being used is current on the date of the transaction or dispute.
• Keep a copy or citation of the official source used for any compliance decision.
• Do not rely on the cover artwork as evidence of official publication or government endorsement.

When legal advice may be useful

Professional interpretation may be useful where the applicable legal regime is disputed, a licence or regulatory perimeter is unclear, a transitional rule affects an existing right or contract, a penalty or enforcement action is possible, or facts span multiple Emirates, free zones or foreign jurisdictions.

Information status

This explanation was researched and checked on 2026-08-31. It provides general legal information and should be re-verified against the official source for any later amendment or implementing decision.