United Arab Emirates: M&A/Private Equity

Escrow is becoming a standard feature in Middle East–Asia transactions as businesses manage growing cross-border risk. By placing funds with a neutral third party until agreed conditions are met, escrow reduces counterparty risk, secures payments and enables complex multi-party deals to proceed with greater certainty and control.

Nestled among the Channel Islands, Jersey has earned a reputation as one of the world's premier jurisdictions for trusts and private wealth structuring.

On 20 January 2025, the UAE Cabinet issued Cabinet Decision No. (3) of 2025 (the "Cabinet Decision"), setting out the long-awaited thresholds for merger control filings under Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2023 on Regulating Competition.