The General Secretariat of the Supreme Legislation Committee in the Emirate of Dubai (SLC) successfully concluded the 5th edition of the Legislative Week, an event held recently at the Mohammed bin Rashid Library and the SLC premises. The event brought together a diverse array of stakeholders, legal experts, and professionals in the field of legislation to engage in informative sessions, symposiums, lectures, and workshops.

The closing day of ‘Legislative Week 2023’ featured a compelling session on the ‘Legislative Industry in the Emirate of Dubai and its Role in Regulating Experimental Innovation-incubating Environments’. The session was presented by legal adviser Mohammed Salah AlEtawi, Head of the Technical Office of the SLC. The session delved into the concept of legislative industry in Dubai and highlighted its pivotal role in building societies and dealing with opportunities, future challenges, as well as the regulation of experimental environments and its objectives and role.

On the third day of the event, Maryam Al Obaid, legal adviser at the Social Development Policies and Strategies Department of the General Secretariat of the Executive Council, led a session titled ‘Policies and Their Role in Developing Legislation’. The session addressed key aspects, such as ‘policymaking’, ‘legislation as policy tools’, and ‘policymaking steps’, among others. Al Obaid provided insights into the correlation between policy and legislation and discussed the objectives, pillars, and principles of policy development in Dubai. Participants gained an understanding of participatory approaches, evidence-based decision-making, scientific analysis, and enforceability, as well as translating priorities into strategic programmes designed to address economic, social, and environmental challenges. During the session, Maryam Al Obaid compared between policies and legislation and highlighted the conceptual differences between strategies, policies, programmes, and legislation.

In another enlightening session themed ‘International Treaties and Conventions and Their Implications on the UAE and the Emirate of Dubai’, legal adviser Dr. Ahmad Al Jaghbeer highlighted the significance of international treaties and conventions in view of foreign legislation and international law. Dr. Al Jahgbeer emphasised the role of the UAE legislative system in facilitating accession to these treaties and conventions through the flexibility of passing and amending legislation. The session explored the implications of such treaties and conventions on strengthening international cooperation, fostering partnerships within critical sectors, building more structured relationship with international business and strategic partners, and enhancing the global standing of countries.

The event’s agenda included a series of sessions and discussions on the first day, focusing on topics, such as ‘Global Challenges in Legislative Work’ and ‘The Unique Judicial Environment Empowering Dubai’s Global Economic Leadership’.

During the Legislative Week 2023, the SLC also organised the ‘Legislative Laboratory’, a unique platform dedicated for sharing legal insights, ideas, and opinions, and aimed at exploring ways to enhance the flexibility, proactivity, and sustainability of the legislative system in Dubai. Additionally, the event showcased the ‘Dubai Legislative Portal’, an integrated portal for accessing local legislation and the Official Gazette of the Government of Dubai. The platform, a key component of the digital legislative system, was designed to provide various legislative services offered by the SLC, ultimately contributing to the increased flexibility of the legislative infrastructure.

H.E. Ahmad Saeed bin Meshar Al Muhairi, SLC Secretary General, underscored the significance of the ‘Legislative Week’ in promoting legislative integration, sustainability, and governance. He emphasised that the event serves as a valuable platform for enriching legal knowledge, increasing legislative awareness, keeping abreast with latest legal practices, and promoting common visions on various legal and legislative aspects, topics, and challenges. The fifth edition of the event provided an opportunity to highlight the pivotal role of legislation in supporting the economy, catalysing sustainable growth, and exploring strategies to align legislation with the fast-paced technological advancements. Additionally, Al Muhairi emphasised the role of legislation as a driving force for sustainable economic and social development.

The Legislative Week reflects the unwavering commitment of the SLC to developing a legislative system supporting Dubai’s ambitious development agenda and aligned with forthcoming national trends. This annual event underscores the SLC’s dedication to fostering legislative awareness by bringing together legal experts, legislators, and stakeholders to exchange expertise, disseminate legal knowledge, and explore the future evolution of the legislative process in Dubai.