DIFC Announces Consultation for Amendments to Select DIFC Legislation through DIFC Law Amendment Law

Dubai, UAE, 26 February 2025: Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, proposes amendments to the select legislation through DIFC Laws Amendment Law, Law No. 1 of 2005. The proposed amendments are largely clarificatory in nature and seek to ensure DIFC Laws remain in line with international best practice. Proposed amendments to the Data Protection Law provide additional protections and rights of action for Data Subjects in the DIFC.

Data Protection Law

DIFC proposes to make amendments to the Data Protection Law to:

• Provide clarity on the scope of application and extra-territorial scope of the Data Protection Law, to ensure DIFC Data Subjects are offered the full protection of the data protection law regardless of where their data is processed.
• Update Article 28 on Data Sharing to support a basis for the Commissioner to reassess the adequacy referential for assessing the suitability of third countries for receiving Personal Data, and to ensure that personal data processed by government authorities will be protected with suitable redress available for data subjects.
• Introduce a Private Right of Action through the DIFC Courts, enhancing the rights and remedies available to data subjects whose personal data has been processed in contravention of the Data Protection Law.

Other Legislative Amendments

Certain clarificatory amendments are also proposed in respect of the Law of Security, Insolvency Law and Employment.

Consultation

Further details about the proposed Amendment Law can be found in Consultation Paper No. 1 of 2025, available here. The proposed legislation has been posted for a 30-day public consultation period with the deadline for providing comments ending on 26.03.2025.