Federal Law No. 17 of 2004 concerning fighting commercial cover (economy and business law)

Article (1)  
In implementation of this Law, the following words and expressions shall have the meanings 
shown, unless the context would require otherwise:  
State  : The United Arab Emirates  
Ministry  : The Ministry of Economy & Commerce  
Minister  : The Minister of Economy & Commerce  
Competent Authority  : The local authority in the respective Emirate  
Committee  : The Commercial Anti- Fronting Committee  
Fronting  : Enabling a foreigner -  whether a natural or artificial person -  to 
undertake any economic or professional activity, which he is 
not permitted to carry out under the effective laws and decrees 
of the State, whether undertaken on his own account or in 
collusion with others; or enabling him to evade obligations 
applicable to him'.  
Fronter  : Any natural or artificial person who enables a 
foreigner —whether a natural or artificial person —to 
undertake any economic or professional activity which is 
prohibited for him to undertake within the State.  
Fronting Person  : Any foreigner —whether a natural or artificial person —who 
undertakes any economic or professional activity, which is 
prohibited for him to undertake within the State, with the 
assistance of the Fronter.

Article (2)  
 Fronting shall be prohibited for any foreigner —whether a natural or artificial 
person —and whether by use of the name, commercial license or [registration information 
within the] Commercial Register of the Fronter, or by any other means in light of the 
definition of Fronting provided for in article (1) of this Law .  
Federal Law No. 6 of 2010 on Credit Information  3

Article (3)  
Without prejudice to any greater sanction imposed by any other law, the Fronter shall be 
subject to a fine not to exceed one hundred thousand dirhams, and such fine shall be 
multiplied by the number of Fronting activities. In case of a recurrence [of such fronting 
activities], the sanction shall be imprisonment of the Fronter for a period not to exceed two 
years, with a fine of one hundred thousand dirhams.  
The Fronting Person shall be subject to the same sanctions, along with deportation from the 
State, after the imposition of such sanctions and his discharge of related obligations.

Article (4)  
Conviction, in accordance with the provisions of the preceding Article, shall result in the removal of the Fronter from registration within the Commercial Registry regarding the 
Fronting activity, revocation of the license granted to him, and the barring of his undertaking 
such activity for a period not to be less than two years and not to exceed five years from the 
date of the judgment. Summary of the judgment shall be published, at the cost of the 
convicted person, in two daily newspapers published within the State, provided that one of them is in the Arabic language.

Article (5)  
The concerned officials overseeing the execution of the provisions of this Law, and the implementing decrees thereof, shall be determined by decree of the Minister of Justice, 
Islamic Affairs & Pious Foundations, in accord with the Minister and the Competent 
Authority, and they shall have the capacity of judicial officers in establishing violations of the 
provisions of this Law, and the implementing bylaws and decrees thereof, and they shall 
therefore have the right to review all records and documents of the related economic and 
professional activities.

Article (6)  
The Minister shall issue the necessary bylaws and decrees to execute the provisions of this  
Federal Law No. 6 of 2010 on Credit Information  4 
        Law, in coordination with the Competent Authority.

Article (7)  
This Law shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall be in force three years from the 
date of its publication.  
 
  
Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan  
President of the United Arab Emirates  
 
Issued by us in the Presidential Palace:  
Date: 18th of Ramadan, 1425  
Corresponding to: 1st of November, 2004