Corporate & PRO · MOA Amendments

Amending your Memorandum of Association

Changing shareholders, share split, capital, activities or company name means amending the MOA — and the route differs by which change you are making. Since Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2025 the default route is attestation by your licensing authority, with the Notary Public as the exception.

Federal Decree-Law 20 of 2025Arts. 14 and 15, consolidated textNotary now the exception

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What needs an amendment

Six changes that reach the constitution, not just the licence

The MOA is the constitutional document. If reality has diverged from it, that gap is a problem waiting for a bank review or a share sale.

Adding or removing a shareholder The change that most often arrives alongside a share transfer.

Changing the share split Between existing shareholders, without anyone joining or leaving.

Increasing or reducing share capital Either direction is an amendment.

Adding or removing licensed activities Some activities need authority approval before the amendment can proceed.

Changing the company name or legal form Both reach the constitution, and both reach the licence separately.

Changing the manager or their powers Including the scope of what a manager is authorised to sign.

What to know

The notary is no longer the default. That changed in 2025.

This is the part most published guidance still has wrong, including guidance published by government bodies that have not updated their own PDFs.

The Commercial Companies Law was amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2025. Article 14(1) now reads that the MOA and any amendment to it must be drafted in Arabic and attested by the Competent Authority — otherwise it is null and void — and that attestation shall be conducted in person or by electronic signature, as determined by the Competent Authority. Attestation before the Notary Public is now expressly the exception, in cases the Competent Authority determines.

So the old rule — every MOA amendment goes to a Notary Public, or it is void — is superseded. If a page, a checklist or an advisor tells you otherwise, check the date on it.

Attestation is not the finish line. Registration is.An amendment becomes effective when it is registered in the commercial register with the Competent Authority (Art. 15(1)). Until then it has no legal effect against third parties (Art. 15(2)) — which is exactly the gap that surfaces in a bank review or a share sale.
15 business days, to two bodiesThe company must notify both the Competent Authority and the Registrar in writing within 15 business days of any amendment or change to its registered details, including its name, address, share capital, number of shareholders or legal form (Art. 15(3)).
Managers are personally exposedThey are jointly liable for damage caused by failing to register an amendment (Art. 15(4)).
Sequence is the second trapCertain amendments need authority approval before attestation, and neither the authority nor a notary will act without it.
Not stated here: the per-emirate procedure, or any feeDubai DET's and Abu Dhabi ADDED's own procedure pages blocked automated access during verification, and the only Abu Dhabi government material reachable still describes notarisation before the Notary Public — it predates the 2025 amendment. The federal position above is solid; the emirate-level mechanics and the fee scale need reading off the authority's own screen.

At a glance

The essentials

Who attests: The Competent Authority — in person or by electronic signature, as it determines
Notary Public: Now the exception, in cases the Competent Authority determines (Art. 14(1))
Language: Arabic — otherwise the amendment is null and void
When it takes effect: On registration in the commercial register (Art. 15(1))
Before registration: No legal effect against third parties (Art. 15(2))
Notification deadline: 15 business days, to the Competent Authority and the Registrar (Art. 15(3))
Manager liability: Jointly liable for damage caused by a failure to register (Art. 15(4))
Governing law: FDL No. 32 of 2021 as amended by FDL No. 20 of 2025
Per-emirate procedure and fees: Not stated — the emirate portals could not be verified

Does this apply to you

Do you need one?

The test is whether the change reaches the constitutional document or only the licence.

✓

This applies to you if

A shareholder, the share split or the capital is changingEach reaches the constitutional document, not just the licence.
You are adding or removing activitiesAnd some of them need authority approval before the amendment can be attested.
Reality has already diverged from the MOAThe gap is a problem waiting for a bank review or a share sale, and it does not improve with age.

It may not apply if

You are only changing an address or contact detailsThose are usually licence amendments, not MOA amendments.

FAQ

Common questions

Ask AgentBiz

Do I still need a notary?

Usually not. Since Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2025, attestation before the Notary Public is the exception, in cases the Competent Authority determines. The default is the licensing authority itself, in person or electronically.

Does my licence update automatically?

No. The MOA amendment and the licence amendment are separate steps, and both need doing.

Do I need to tell my bank?

Yes. Banks hold their own record of ownership and signatories, and a mismatch can freeze account operations.

Can a shareholder abroad sign remotely?

Often, and more easily than before — Article 14 now allows attestation by electronic signature where the Competent Authority permits it. Where it does not, a power of attorney is the route, and the POA itself needs attesting. Build that time into the plan.

How long do I have to file it?

15 business days from the change, to both the Competent Authority and the Registrar.