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DUBAI/WAM
The Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department reported a surge in the number of licenced international legal consultancy firms in the emirate during the first quarter of 2026.
The total number of licenced international firms reached 86 by the end of March, a 2.3% increase compared to the end of 2025. The Department also recorded a 100% sustainability rate in registration and licencing operations.
According to the Department’s quarterly report, the first quarter saw 89 new legal consultants being registered, bringing the total number of practising legal consultants to 3,433 across 139 licenced legal consultancy firms.
International firms now account for 61.8% of all licenced legal consultancy firms in Dubai, underscoring the emirate’s continued ability to attract global legal expertise and strengthen its professional ecosystem. These consultants practise the profession in accordance with the emirate’s world-class regulatory framework.
According to the report, legal consultants in Dubai represent 91 nationalities, signifying the diversity of legal systems and expertise. This diversity reflects a multidisciplinary and multinational legal environment aligned with the emirate’s stature as a prominent global economic hub.
Dr. Lowai Mohamed Belhoul, Director-General of the Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department, noted that the sustained growth and long-term development of the legal professional sector, one of the emirate’s vital service sectors, demonstrates the vision and directives of the leadership of Dubai.
He said the growth of international firms mirrors Dubai’s dynamic investment environment, which requires a broad range of legal expertise to support complex, cross-border economic activity. He added that this diversity strengthens the investment ecosystem by ensuring access to specialised legal services aligned with Dubai’s global standing.
The Department, he said, is focused on providing the right enablers and flexible policy frameworks through legislative agility, streamlined procedures and the digitalisation of services designed to strengthen competitiveness and reinforce Dubai’s stature as a leading, globally recognised model for legal excellence.