Changes to the UAE Penal Code (Federal Law No. 3 of 1987) (the
"Penal Code") at the end of 2016 have
(i) extended the current bribery provisions to include bribery
involving a foreign public official or an official of an
international organisation, (ii) increased the penalties for
committing a bribery-related offence and (iii) criminalised the
offering of a bribe in the private sector.
General Overview of Anti-Corruption Regulation
Since 1987, the Penal Code has contained prohibitions against
bribery, making it an offence to bribe a public official in
consideration for an act on the part of that official. A bribe
could be anything of value. Offering or promising a bribe was also
prohibited, as was the solicitation or acceptance of a bribe on the
part of a public official. A public official could be an employee
of the government or a person tasked with an official duty. An
offence would be committed even if the official's act was not
part of his or her official
