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Certain economic activities are reserved for UAE nationals, including hunting and forestry-related services; fishing services; and natural resources, including oil and gas, electricity, water treatment and distribution

The main domestic legislation on import prohibitions is Law No. 13 of 2007 regarding Commodities that are Subject to Import and Export Control Procedures, as amended. Under this law imports may be prohibited on grounds of public safety, public health, environment, natural resources, and national security or for reasons related to the UAE foreign policy. (...)

In addition to the production of fish and other seafood products, the focus of aquaculture is to support the rebuilding of wild stocks and the long-term future of fish capture. In 1984 the Marine Environment Research Department (MERD) was established in Umm al-Quwain which, inter alia, produces fingerlings of local species for release into coastal waters under sponsored governmental policy.

Exports of endangered fish and wildlife species are prohibited or restricted on environmental grounds, and to ensure compliance with international treaties and conventions, such as CITES

UAE has committed to a 7% renewable energy target by 2020 and is planning to be less dependent on oil. The Abu Dhabi future energy (Masdar) is in process of finding low cost renewable energy technologies that can be rolled out on a large scale, giving safe and clean power to many. Masdar has already sent out tenders for international companies and has awarded several contracts for the construction of concentrated solar power plants and are in the process of reviewing technologies for using wind turbines to generate electricity.

Specific labelling requirements in the UAE apply to toys, tobacco products, food, chemical products, industrial products, drinking water, textiles, and cosmetics. In addition, labels indicating energy efficiency are required for household electrical products. All labels must be in Arabic or in Arabic and English. Tobacco packages require a special health warning in Arabic.

Each emirate is responsible for building codes. The Abu Dhabi Building Codes were launched by the Department of Municipal Affairs in 2013 and applied to all projects in 2014. According to the authorities, the Building Codes are based on the International Building Code of the International Code Council which has been adapted to meet the specific requirements of Abu Dhabi. The adaptations were proposed by several committees consisting of representatives of the public and privates sectors and academia. In Dubai, the Code of Construction and Safety Practice was published in 2008 and followed by other codes, including the Seismic Design Code for Dubai and the Dubai Wind Code. More recently the increased emphasis on environmental sustainability has resulted in the Green Building Regulations and Specifications and the Practice Code for Green Building in 2014.

The Supreme Petroleum Council (SPC), is the main regulatory body of the sector, sets policies with regard to the preservation of petroleum resources, decision-making, policy formulation, and implementation, in particular of the Law No. 8 of 1978 regarding the conservation of petroleum resources

(...) Furthermore, as envisaged by the Government, transitioning towards a knowledge driven economy through better quality of education, promotion of innovation and use of new technologies, would contribute to raising productivity and diversifying the economy; thus sustaining growth. In this respect, the Government has started to implement initiatives in alternative energy, Islamic economy, and space and aerospace.

The MOEW (Ministry of Environment and Water) encourages the use of modern technology in agriculture, including modern irrigation and hydroponics in order to conserve water while it also provides extension services to farmers in order to increase productivity. Organic farming is encouraged to improve environmental and economic sustainability and reduce the use of chemical inputs.