On 10 June 2026, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum signed Law No. (17) of 2026 establishing the Dubai Longevity Authority (DLA). Alongside it, two decrees named Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as President and Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, as Chairman. The DLA's stated mandate is to regulate the longevity sector end-to-end — covering research and development, clinical trials, manufacturing, product delivery and patient clinics — while actively attracting international investment and talent.
The authority was launched in coordination with the Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Health, Dubai Municipality and Dubai Future Foundation. Its regulatory approach is described as science-driven and risk-proportionate, aligned with international standards. DLA sits within the broader Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and Dubai Social Agenda 33, which target a top-three global ranking for quality of life and a leading position in healthy life expectancy.
What this means for our clients
For founders and investors in life sciences, biotechnology, preventive health and advanced therapeutics, this is a material structural development. The DLA will, in principle, provide a defined licensing and supervisory pathway across the full value chain — something that has typically required navigating multiple authorities in parallel. Regulatory certainty of this kind can affect decisions around where to incorporate, where to run clinical operations and how to structure UAE entities for an investment raise. That said, the implementing regulations have not yet been published, so specific timelines and licence categories are not yet confirmed.
We are monitoring DLA's regulatory framework as details are released. Clients in the healthcare and wellness space — whether considering a mainland company, a free zone structure or a research-oriented entity — should factor this new authority into their formation and compliance planning. We recommend reading the full source article on Economy Middle East and booking a Sirius consultation to assess how the DLA framework applies to your specific business model.