Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has issued Law No (6) of 2026, regulating administrative violations, penalties and enforcement procedures in the emirate.

The law establishes a legal framework governing how government entities impose administrative violations and penalties under Dubai’s legislation.

Under the law, administrative violations must be clearly defined in legislation issued by the relevant authority.

New Dubai law sets procedures for publishing administrative violations

Violations will be classified into three categories, minor, moderate and serious, to guide the level of administrative penalty imposed.

The legislation also outlines rules governing administrative measures to ensure proportionality and transparency.

Authorities must consider factors such as the seriousness of the violation, its impact on public services and the public interest, whether the offence was repeated or intentional, and any corrective action taken by the offender.

Government entities may impose several administrative measures, including warnings, temporary closure of an establishment for up to six months, permanent closure, cancellation or modification of licences and permits, or the suspension of related projects or activities.

The law also sets procedures for publishing administrative violations.

Authorities must obtain approval from their director general and coordinate in advance with the Government of Dubai Media Office before making violations public.

Implementation decisions will be issued by the chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai. Any provisions in other laws that conflict with the new legislation will be annulled.

The law aims to promote transparency, fairness and accountability while ensuring public services continue without disruption.

It takes effect from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.

Saudi oil giant Aramco said on Thursday that claims it is in discussions with Ukrainian companies to buy interceptor drones are inaccurate, after a report said it was seeking them to defend its oilfields against aerial attacks.

Iran has responded to the US-Israeli assault against it by targeting energy and other facilities across the region and effectively shuttering the Strait of Hormuz oil transit point, through which a fifth of the world’s oil flows.

“Aramco is aware of recent media reports regarding the company being in discussions with Ukrainian companies regarding the procurement of interceptor drones. These claims are inaccurate,” Aramco told Reuters in a statement.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Aramco was in talks with at least two Ukrainian companies to buy interceptor drones to safeguard its oilfields.

US President Donald Trump’s administration said on Wednesday it was launching two trade investigations into excess industrial capacity in 16 major trading partners and into forced labor, rebuilding tariff pressure after the Supreme Court tore down much of Trump’s tariff programme last month.

China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea and Mexico are among the economies that could face new tariffs by this summer under the investigation of unfair trade practices, said US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Other partners subject to the excess-capacity probe under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 are Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Switzerland and Norway. Canada, the second-largest U.S. trading partner, was not included.

China said on Thursday the US claim of overcapacity was a “false proposition” and Beijing opposed “political manipulation under this pretext”. China is against all forms of unilateral tariff measures, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference.

The 27-nation European Union has said it wants to stick to the terms of a deal signed at Trump’s Turnberry golf course last July, and that any new tariffs should reflect the broad 15 per cent overall US levy agreed then.

European Parliament lawmakers, who have repeatedly delayed a vote on that deal, said uncertainty remained.

“Who can guarantee that the final outcome will not mean even higher tariffs for the EU? It is not enough to simply assume – on both sides – that we will end up within the Turnberry framework. We need clarity,” trade committee chair Bernd Lange wrote on X.

Greer told reporters the investigations “will focus on economies that we have evidence appear to exhibit structural excess capacity and production in various manufacturing sectors, such as through larger persistent trade surpluses, or underutilised or unused capacity”.

USTR’s official notice cited the automotive sector in China and Japan, saying a growing number of companies were unprofitable or unable to meet interest payments.

Japan is scrutinising details of the probe but will continue to implement its existing trade agreement with the US, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference.

USTR said although China’s electric-vehicle capacity outstrips national demand, top EV maker BYD 1211.HK was “aggressively expanding” its overseas manufacturing footprint, with factories in Uzbekistan, Thailand, Brazil, Hungary and Turkey, and was expected to expand capacity in Europe, where existing automotive plants operate at only 55 per cent of capacity.

Taiwan’s cabinet said in a statement that the agreement on reciprocal trade it signed with the U.S. last month established consensus on many issues potentially covered by the probe. Indonesia said its agreement with the U.S. remained the main guideline in bilateral trade relations.

USTR cited large German and Irish surpluses in goods trade with the United States as evidence of EU excess capacity. It also bemoaned Singapore’s, Norway’s and Switzerland’s hefty surpluses in trade with the US, alongside what it said was evidence of “structural excess capacity and production”.

Greer said he would initiate another Section 301 probe on Thursday, under a provision to ban US imports of goods produced with forced labor. It will cover shipments from more than 60 countries.

The US has already cracked down on solar panels and other goods from China’s Xinjiang region under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, signed into law by president Joe Biden.

Greer said he wanted other countries to enforce bans on goods produced with forced labor similar to those enshrined in a nearly century-old trade law.

The US alleges that Chinese authorities have established labor camps for ethnic Uyghur and other Muslim groups. Beijing denies allegations of abuse.

Greer said he hoped to conclude the Section 301 investigations, including proposed remedies, before temporary tariffs imposed by Trump in late February expire in July.

After the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s global tariffs as illegal under a national emergencies law on February 20, he imposed a 10 per cent tariff for 150 days under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.

Public comments on the excess-capacity probe will be accepted through April 15 and a public hearing will be held around May 5.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is due to meet Chinese counterparts in Paris this week to set the stage for Trump to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing at the end of the month.

Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods were effectively cut by 10 percentage points by the Supreme Court decision and subsequent temporary tariffs, reducing US leverage on China trade and export controls.

Sharjah’s private K-12 education sector is drawing growing attention from investors as enrolment rises and the emirate’s regulatory environment supports institutional capital.

The emirate recorded around 251,000 K-12 students in the 2025 academic year, according to new analysis from L.E.K. Consulting, highlighting the scale Sharjah has achieved within the UAE’s broader private education market.

Of those students, around 83 per cent are enrolled in private schools, underscoring how central private education has become to the emirate’s schooling system.

“Sharjah has approximately 251,000 K-12 students, and roughly 83 per cent are enrolled in private schools,” said Ashwin Assomull, partner and head of the global education practice at L.E.K. Consulting.

“Expatriates represent around 90 per cent of the population, so structurally private education plays a central role in serving resident families.”

Since the 2019 academic year, private K-12 enrolment in Sharjah has grown at a compound annual growth rate of about 3.3 per cent, while the international curriculum segment has expanded slightly faster at 3.6 per cent.

International programmes now account for roughly 176,000 students, making them the largest segment within the private education ecosystem.

Demographics underpin steady growth

Unlike some expatriate-heavy markets that experience sharper cycles, Sharjah’s growth is supported by a relatively large school-age population.

About 17.5 per cent of the emirate’s residents fall within the 4–18 age bracket, helping sustain enrolment demand across the full K-12 cycle.

“Unlike some markets that are driven primarily by cyclical expatriate inflows, Sharjah’s growth is supported by a sizeable school-age base and residential expansion,” Assomull said.

The emirate is also expected to see around 8,000 new mid-priced and above housing units delivered between 2025 and 2029, a development pipeline that provides additional visibility on future enrolment demand.

For investors evaluating education assets, housing expansion is often a key leading indicator for student numbers.

Premium schools gaining traction

Sharjah’s private school market now spans several fee tiers, ranging from below Dhs16,000 annually to above Dhs40,000.

However, the premium segment — schools charging between Dhs40,000 and Dhs60,000 — is currently the fastest growing, signalling evolving consumer preferences among expatriate families.

“The fastest growth is occurring in the Dhs40,000–Dhs60,000 premium segment,” Assomull said.

“The fact that premium is growing fastest suggests a segment of families is trading up.”

Within this tier, the Australian curriculum holds roughly 49 per cent of the market, reflecting demand for internationally recognised academic pathways.

The diversification of fee segments indicates a market that is maturing and differentiating, rather than expanding uniformly.

Regulation supports investment case

Sharjah’s regulatory framework has also strengthened its appeal to global education operators and investors.

The emirate permits 100 per cent foreign ownership of private education institutions, a policy that has lowered barriers to entry for international capital.

“Allowing 100 per cent foreign ownership has been transformational from a capital markets perspective,” Assomull said.

He added that predictable fee regulation is equally important for long-term investment planning.

“Education investors prioritise stable, transparent fee regulation because it underpins long-term financial planning.”

According to Assomull, Sharjah’s investment appeal rests on three main factors.

“Three pillars stand out: scale, regulatory structure, and institutional coordination,” he said. “That alignment between policy and capital is what differentiates hub markets from growth markets.”

These themes were highlighted during the Sharjah International Summit on Improvement in Education 2026, where L.E.K. Consulting presented independent market analysis in collaboration with the Sharjah Education Academy and the Sharjah Private Education Authority.

The summit brought together policymakers, school operators and investors to examine enrolment trends, pricing segmentation and capacity utilisation across the sector.

Long-term growth with supply discipline

Despite strong fundamentals, private education remains a capital-intensive and operationally complex asset class, requiring time for schools to reach stabilised occupancy.

“Investors must navigate approvals, staffing, curriculum accreditation and ramp-up periods before achieving stabilised occupancy,” Assomull said.

Looking ahead, L.E.K. expects steady enrolment growth of around 3–4 per cent annually over the next three to five years, supported by residential expansion and continued demand for international curricula.

However, Assomull cautioned that supply discipline will remain critical.

“Education markets can face pressure if new capacity outpaces enrolment growth. Balancing expansion with quality oversight will be key.”

With a large student base, high private-school penetration and regulatory openness to foreign investment, Sharjah is increasingly emerging as a significant education market within the UAE.

“Sharjah offers a compelling combination of a growing private K-12 market, strong demographic demand and a supportive regulatory environment,” Assomull said. “This creates a scalable, long-term opportunity for investors.”

He added that, like most private education markets in the region, the sector remains linked to broader economic trends.

“The sector is resilient, but it remains correlated to population flows and economic growth.”

The Dubai Chamber of Commerce has held discussions with the Fruit and Vegetable Traders Business Group to explore ways to strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of the sector while ensuring the steady flow of food imports into the emirate.

The meeting, attended by Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, focused on the priorities of companies operating in the fruit and vegetable trade and examined practical measures to diversify sourcing markets and strengthen supply chain resilience.

Participants also discussed strategies to support market stability and improve operational efficiency as businesses adapt to evolving global trade conditions.

Representatives from the business group highlighted the strength of Dubai’s commercial environment, noting that the emirate’s business ecosystem enables companies to respond effectively to supply chain disruptions and maintain the availability of essential goods.

They also commended the strong collaboration between the public and private sectors and the government’s ongoing efforts to support the business community.

Lootah stated: “Dubai Chambers is dedicated to ensuring business activities across all sectors continue to evolve with the highest levels of resilience and efficiency to meet changing conditions effectively. We are committed to strengthening engagement with Business Groups and Business Councils, monitoring the latest developments, and coordinating with the relevant government entities to develop practical solutions to challenges that safeguard competitiveness and reinforce Dubai’s role in global trade flows.”

The meeting forms part of a broader series of engagements being organised by the chamber with business groups and business councils to evaluate current market conditions, anticipate future developments, and strengthen sector readiness in response to global changes.

Read: Onion, tomato prices rise: Here’s how UAE authorities are responding