A good number of the women in our community set up a business licence here for the first time after a divorce, a bereavement, or simply a decision to finally build something of their own. Many of them opened a business bank account alone — signed the paperwork, agreed to a fee schedule they didn't have a lawyer double-check, and hoped for the best. From mid-September 2026, they'll have considerably more protection than they had a year ago.

Anna Heenan is the founder of HerSphere — a platform supporting women in the UAE who are rebuilding their lives. She writes about grief, resilience, legal realities for expat widows, and what it actually takes to start again.