Ethical and Legal Implications of Whistleblowing: A View from United Arab Emirates

Abstract

The paper seeks to dissect the meaning, people’s understanding, effects and consequences of whistleblowing. It also tries to define the implications the act has as laid down in United Arab Emirates (UAE) law. It spells out the major concerns that exist about whistleblowing in the UAE and the world more generally. There exist several differences between the UAE law and that of other (mainly western) countries regarding whistleblowing. These differences affect the overall understanding in the region, the frequency of reporting cases occurring and the penalties that result. This has a number of implications if viewed from a corporate viewpoint, particularly where companies are operating in a number of jurisdictions as is increasingly common. Given that domestic operators require current information, as do transnational operators entering the UAE market, the paper concludes by highlighting the existing and impending legislation that protect (or fail to protect) whistleblowers in the UAE and the laws required in order to provide sufficient protection to whistleblowers.