Construction & Energy Law in the UAE

Construction and energy are central to the United Arab Emirates economy, and the legal framework governing them is detailed and technically demanding. UAE construction is governed by the Civil Transactions Law and the construction-specific provisions applying to building contracts, alongside the widely used FIDIC conditions of contract. Disputes are resolved through litigation, arbitration and adjudication, and the ADGM and DIFC courts and arbitral institutions frequently hear complex construction and energy matters. At QAF Legal, our construction and energy team advises contractors, developers, employers and consultants on contract formation, claims, disputes and regulatory matters. We handle FIDIC and bespoke contracts, delay and disruption claims, EPC and energy project structuring, and construction arbitration. Our team understands the technical and commercial realities of construction and energy projects and the legal tools to protect position when issues arise.

Our Construction & Energy Law Services

Construction Contract Drafting

We draft and review construction contracts including FIDIC, bespoke and standard forms, allocating risk, payment and responsibility clearly between the parties.

FIDIC Contract Advisory

We advise on the selection and adaptation of FIDIC conditions — Red, Yellow, Silver and others — and on the notices, claims and dispute procedures they require.

Construction Disputes & Adjudication

We manage construction disputes through adjudication, arbitration and litigation, addressing payment, defects, termination and performance claims efficiently.

Delay & Disruption Claims

We prepare and defend delay and disruption claims, addressing extension of time, loss and expense and concurrent delay with rigorous analysis.

Energy Project Advisory

We advise on energy project structuring, including renewable and conventional generation, PPAs, concessions and regulatory approvals in the UAE.

EPC Contract Review

We negotiate and review EPC contracts, addressing scope, interface, performance guarantees, liability caps and acceptance regimes for major projects.

Construction Arbitration

We conduct construction arbitration under ICC, DIAC, ADGM and DIFC rules, managing technical evidence and quantum in complex disputes.

Regulatory & Licensing for Energy

We advise on energy-sector regulation, licensing, grid connection and approvals required for generation, transmission and distribution projects.

Jurisdictions We Cover

We handle construction and energy matters across UAE Mainland, ADGM and DIFC. Contracts may be governed by UAE law or by ADGM or DIFC law, and disputes may go to mainland courts, ADGM or DIFC courts, or arbitration seated in any of these. We advise on the governing-law and dispute-resolution clauses that best protect the project and on enforcement of awards.

Why Choose QAF Legal

Construction and energy disputes are won on technical understanding as much as law. Our team reads contracts, programmes and quantum, not just pleadings, and we work with delay and quantum experts to build complete cases. We know the FIDIC suite and the UAE forms and how the courts and tribunals apply them. We integrate contract drafting with dispute strategy, so the paperwork supports the position if things go wrong. From FIDIC clause to final award, we protect our clients' commercial and technical interests.

FIDIC & Standard-Form Contracts

Much of the region's construction is documented on FIDIC and similar standard forms, and the correct drafting and administration of these contracts determines whether a project runs or litigates. We draft and negotiate FIDIC Red, Yellow and Silver Books and bespoke EPC and construction-management agreements, advising on risk allocation, payment mechanisms, extensions of time, variations and the role of the engineer. We help parties understand the notice and certification obligations that these forms impose, because most construction disputes are won or lost on whether the contractual procedure was followed. Getting the contract right at the start — and administering it correctly during the build — is the single greatest protection against later dispute.

Claims, Delay & Quantum

When projects go wrong, the dispute usually turns on delay, disruption and money. We prepare and respond to extension-of-time claims, loss-and-expense claims, variation claims and acceleration claims, working with delay and quantum experts to build a defensible position. We represent parties in negotiation, adjudication, arbitration and litigation, translating technical engineering evidence into the legal and contractual case a tribunal or court will accept. We also defend claims, exposing weaknesses in causation, concurrent delay and the contractual basis alleged. Construction disputes are won on the record, and we build that record deliberately from the first instruction.

Energy, Renewables & Infrastructure

Beyond buildings, we advise on energy and infrastructure projects — conventional power, water, renewables and transmission — where the contractual, regulatory and financing structures are more complex. We structure EPC, O&M and power-purchase arrangements, advise on regulatory and grid connection issues, and manage the disputes that arise on long-life assets. The energy transition is reshaping this sector, and we help clients navigate the contractual and regulatory implications of renewables, storage and decarbonisation projects across the UAE and the wider region.