You’re shipping something new in the United Arab Emirates. Data provenance and the claims you make are where the exposure sits.
Information, not advice
This page is information, not legal advice about your matter. A retainer begins only when a lawyer confirms it.
Start here
Write down what your system does, and what you say it does
The gap between those two sentences is where most legal risk sits, and data protection and sector rules both reach it. Closing it early costs very little.
What to work through, in order
Which regime already applies
National AI strategy work sits alongside existing data protection and sector regulation. DIFC has introduced specific provisions addressing autonomous and semi-autonomous systems.
Data and privacy
The federal PDPL applies onshore, while DIFC and ADGM operate GDPR-style regimes. DIFC has added obligations specific to automated processing.
IP ownership in outputs
Federal copyright law requires human authorship, and free zone IP regimes follow similar principles. Ownership is generally settled by contract.
Next steps
What happens if you go ahead
Scoping call
Written scope and fixed-fee quote
Engagement, once a lawyer confirms
Who would handle it
Offices
Dubai
DMCC Crypto Centre, 12th Floor, Uptown Tower, Dubai