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Maritime & Aviation

Legal Counsel for Maritime, Shipping, and Aviation Enterprises Operating in the UAE and MENA Region

JUR advises shipowners, carriers, port operators, aviation companies, aircraft lessors, and logistics enterprises on the full spectrum of maritime and aviation legal matters in the UAE, one of the world's most strategically significant maritime and aviation hubs.
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Practice Overview

The UAE occupies a position of unparalleled strategic importance in global maritime and aviation trade. The Port of Jebel Ali, operated by DP World, is the world’s ninth-largest container port and the largest in the MENA region. Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport collectively handle over one hundred million passengers annually. The UAE’s geographic position at the nexus of trade routes connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa, combined with its first-class port, logistics, and aviation infrastructure, makes it a hub of genuine global consequence for maritime and aviation legal practice. The legal frameworks governing these sectors, spanning Federal Law No. 26 of 1981 on Commercial Maritime Law, UAE Civil Aviation Law, GCAA regulatory requirements, and DIFC and ADGM frameworks applicable to maritime finance and aircraft leasing, demand practitioners with deep sector knowledge.

JUR’s Maritime and Aviation practice advises shipowners, ship managers and operators, commodity traders, P&I clubs, freight forwarders, port operators, airlines, aircraft lessors and financiers, MRO providers, and aviation insurance underwriters on the complete range of maritime and aviation legal matters. We handle ship arrests and cargo claims before the UAE courts, advise on vessel acquisitions and ship finance transactions, structure aircraft lease and finance transactions, and represent clients in complex multi-party maritime and aviation disputes before UAE courts, DIAC, and international arbitral tribunals.

Core Capabilities

Ship Arrest and Cargo Claims

Ship arrest applications and releases before UAE courts, cargo damage and shortage claims, freight and demurrage disputes, bill of lading liability advisory, and ship arrest strategy for creditors and commodity traders in UAE ports

Ship Finance and Sale

MOA negotiation and due diligence, vessel title and flag registration, ship finance documentation including mortgage registration under UAE and international flag state law, and sale and purchase dispute resolution.

Charter Party Disputes

Time charter, voyage charter, and bareboat charter dispute resolution, laytime and demurrage calculations, off-hire disputes, and cargo and freight claim arbitration under LMAA and other maritime arbitration rules.

Maritime Insurance

Hull and machinery and P&I club coverage advisory, general average and salvage claims, maritime insurance coverage disputes, and cargo insurance advisory for commodity traders and freight forwarders.

Aircraft Leasing and Finance

Operating lease documentation, finance lease and PDP facility structuring, IATA and Cape Town Convention compliance, aircraft mortgage and deregistration advisory, and lessor and lender rights enforcement.

Aviation Regulation

GCAA licensing and regulatory compliance advisory for airlines and aviation service providers, air operator certificate advisory, and regulatory compliance for UAE-based MRO and ground handling operations

Port and Logistics

DP World and JAFZA regulatory compliance, port service agreements, logistics and warehousing contract advisory, and free zone establishment for maritime and logistics operations in the UAE.

Trade and Commodities

Commodity sale and purchase agreement advisory, trade finance documentation, letter of credit disputes, sanctions compliance advisory for commodity traders, and commodity arbitration under GAFTA, FOSFA, and LCIA rules.

Dispute Resolution

DIAC and ICC arbitration of maritime and aviation disputes, onshore UAE court litigation including Admiralty jurisdiction matters, and enforcement of maritime and aviation arbitral awards in the UAE.

Why Global Institutions Choose JUR

Maritime and aviation legal matters in the UAE require practitioners with the technical depth to navigate the intersection of UAE domestic law, international maritime and aviation conventions, and the commercial realities of industries that operate across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously. JUR’s maritime and aviation practice combines command of UAE maritime and aviation regulatory and commercial law with the international perspective that clients operating global shipping and aviation businesses require from their UAE legal counsel.

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