r/DubaiLaw

For the past 6 months I have been paying a landlord monthly without formal agreement or Ejari to stay in an apartment. Due to personal circumstances I was unable to pay last month and this month but I fully intend to. The landlord is threatening immediate eviciton tomorrow. Do I have any rights here?

I have evidence of past monthly payments being made and whatsapp logs of the informal tenancy. Can I still be evicted for trespassing or any other reason?

Any guidance is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Company with intent of fraud issued a bounced check and now nowhere to be found.

A company with a dubai trade license sent me an inquiry and a PO for the materials. I first asked to provide the payment and after will release he materials. As the business is down nowadays I thought to accept the CDC and give the material. As I had the check and other related documents to proceed with the case if things were to go wrong I dispatched the materials.

Now the next day check bounced and the company’s location, phone all close. I visited sharjah and dubai police station but they said we can proceed with the criminal case but on monday. Now it’s monday we are still waiting for the check return memo to file but I think those already left the country cz they’ve had enough time. I’ve given many years of my life for this work and now it’s totally a blackspot on my career. The amount is under 50k but still it wakes me up in the middle of the night.

Any help on this or any valuable suggestions.

Hey everyone, sorry for the long post but I’m in a highly stressful situation with my former employer here in Dubai and desperately need some guidance.

The Backstory: My employment was terminated immediately on July 1st. Before this, management asked me to sign a document cutting my salary by 65% for two months (they already cut my salary 3 months prior which I agreed upon) and waiving my annual flight ticket. I flat out refused. When I told them I wouldn't sign, they immediately issued a termination letter citing "economic reasons" (which I signed).

They sent a final settlement breakdown, but they are only offering to pay my MOHRE contract salary, completely ignoring a stamped internal agreement for a salary raise I received. They also excluded my annual leave ticket (I already had my annual leave vacation and paid for my ticket because most of the people do that in this company cause they process everything so slow so they just do reimbursements) (This ticket is also in a signed internal agreement). To top it off, they want to pay my settlement in installments over 3 months (what is this, Tabby?! 😂). I refused to sign this settlement because UAE law requires full cancellation payments within 14 days.

The Current Nightmare: The Equipment Handover My termination letter explicitly states I must return all company hardware (laptop, camera equipment, etc.) no later than July 5th (Today, Sunday).

However, they didn't inform me on who should receive it.

• Friday, July 3: I messaged my supervisor. He washed his hands of it and put me in touch with another person.
• The Power Trip: When I messaged this new person to coordinate, she got incredibly hostile. She blasted me for messaging on a July 3, Friday, and not yesterday (even though the deadline they set was Sunday). When I professionally suggested dropping it off with someone else on Saturday (our office is open Saturdays), she blew up. She literally texted me: "Who are you to dictate to me? Pay respect to me" and called me "arrogant" even though my texts were completely neutral and professional (even ended with "Best, [My Name]." hahahahaha).
• Saturday, July 4: I physically went to the office to hand it to my supervisor. He refused to handle it. I immediately sent him a WhatsApp text confirming the handover couldn't be finalized and that I was taking the gear back for safekeeping. He gave it a "like" reaction.
• Sunday, July 5 (The Deadline): I went back to the office today to return the items in good faith. The office was completely closed.

How I’ve Protected Myself So Far:

1. I have screenshots of every single WhatsApp conversation.
2. Sent my supervisor a WhatsApp text confirming the handover couldn't be finalized and that I was taking the gear back for safekeeping. He gave it a "like" reaction
3. When I found the office closed today, I recorded a video of myself outside the closed office showing the gear, the date, and the time to prove I showed up on the deadline.

I’m looking for advice from anyone who has been through the Dubai Courts execution process.

Here’s my situation:

• I filed a commercial case against a company.
• I won the case, and after the appeal process the judgment became final.
• The execution order has already been issued.
• The debtor has now requested the court’s approval to pay the outstanding amount in monthly installments.

My lawyer says there’s nothing we can do at this stage except wait for the court’s decision. It’s already been about two weeks with no update.

My questions are:

• Is there really nothing the judgment creditor can do while the installment request is pending?
• Can I object to the proposed installment plan or ask the court to impose stricter terms?
• Has anyone had a debtor’s installment request rejected?
• Is it normal for there to be no update for a couple of weeks?
• If the court approves the installments, what happens if the debtor misses a payment?

It honestly feels like I won the case on paper, but whether and when I actually receive the money is now in the debtor’s hands. Is that how the Dubai execution process normally works?

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through something similar.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a trusted and reasonably priced service provider who can help me complete a non-fault divorce in abu dhabi.

I've already contacted one provider I found through Google, but they quoted me around AED 1,700 just for their service (preparing the memo, filling out the divorce application, and any necessary follow-up), plus AED 5,300 in government fees. The government fees are understandable, but the service charge seems quite high (32% extra charge) for what appears to be a straightforward case.

If anyone has gone through this process or knows a reliable company, consultant, or legal service that charges more reasonable fees, I'd really appreciate your recommendation.

Thank you in advance!

Zak

Hello … I’m looking for practical legal advice from anyone familiar with UAE civil law or cross-border debt recovery.
I live outside the UAE. The person who owes me money is an Egyptian citizen living and working in Dubai and also in Cairo.
Over a period of time, I transferred a substantial amount of money to him. Some of it was personal loans, and some was for expenses and a business venture that he agreed to repay.
For several years he repeatedly acknowledged the debt and assured me that he would repay me once he was financially able. I have extensive evidence, including:
Bank transfer records.
WhatsApp messages where he acknowledges that he owes me money.
Messages where he apologises for delays and promises repayment.
Evidence of purchases made for his apartment, vehicle, business expenses, and other costs that he agreed would be repaid.
My repeated requests for bank statements and supporting invoices, which were never provided.
He has now completely changed his position and is denying responsibility, despite previously admitting the debt in writing.
I’m not interested in revenge, public shaming, or anything unlawful. I simply want to recover what I’m legally owed through the proper channels.
My questions are:
Would this be handled under UAE law because he lives in Dubai?
Are WhatsApp admissions and written promises to repay generally accepted as evidence in UAE civil courts?
Is this something that can be pursued through the Dubai Courts, or is another authority more appropriate?
Are there reputable UAE lawyers or debt recovery firms that deal with international private debt?
Can legal action be started from overseas, or would I need to travel to Dubai?
If judgment is obtained in the UAE, what enforcement options are available if he refuses to pay?
Has anyone here successfully recovered a private debt from someone living in Dubai? What was the process like, and what would you recommend?
I’m looking for genuine legal guidance and would really appreciate hearing from anyone with experience in UAE civil litigation or cross-border debt recovery.
Thank you.

I need to know i am going back to my home country i cancel my visa . I have multiple credit cards if i withdraw the amount from credit cards before going will there be any problem at immigration while exiting.

Note: there is no over due payment no payment missing

Location: United arab emirates

Hi everyone,I need some practical, step-by-step guidance on recovering my money from someone who gave me a bounced cheque. I do not have the budget to hire a lawyer, so I need to handle the civil court process entirely by myself to keep costs down.Here is my exact timeline and case status:Cheque Date: August 2025 (Amount: AED 20,000).Police Complaint: September 2025 (I went to the police right away and got the bank return memo).DPP Transfer: January 2026 (The case was transferred to the Dubai Public Prosecution).Hearings: 1st hearing was June 10th, 2026. 2nd hearing was yesterday. The debtor failed to show up to both.Current Criminal Status: Yesterday, the judge wrapped up the criminal case and fined the debtor AED 5,000.

Since that AED 5,000 fine goes straight to the government and not to me, I need to open a Civil Execution Case immediately to recover my AED 20,000. I have a few specific questions for anyone who has navigated Dubai Courts or Al Adheed by themselves:

Bank Memo Expiry: Since my bank return memo was issued back in September 2025, is it considered expired by the civil court? Or does the fact that I have a fresh criminal judgment from yesterday protect my timeline? Do I need to get a new memo from the bank, or will Al Adheed accept the September 2025 one along with the DPP certificate?

Filing via App vs. Al Adheed: I know the official court fee is 6% (AED 1,200 for my amount). If I use the Dubai Courts Smart App to save money on typing fees, what is the exact name of the service I select? If I go to Al Adheed instead, how much extra do they charge for typing?

Claiming Back Legal Fees & Compensation: When filling out the execution form, how do I make sure the judge adds my AED 1,200 court fee to the debtor's file so he is forced to reimburse me? Also, can I legally claim an additional 10% on top of the AED 20k as compensation/interest for the delayed payment since I've been waiting almost a year for my money?

Enforcement Steps (Travel Ban & Asset Freeze): Once the court gives him the 15-day notice to pay and he ignores it, what is the exact process to trigger a travel ban and freeze his bank accounts? Do I have to pay an extra fee for each separate request?

If you have successfully gone through this exact process by yourself without a lawyer, please share your tips, timelines, or anything I should watch out for.Thank you so much!

A close friend of mine had a large sum of money (mid five figures, local currency) show up in her bank account unexpectedly a while back. Neither of us knew where it came from.

She flagged it to the bank herself as suspicious/unexplained. Eventually the bank had her sign a form authorizing them to withdraw the exact same amount back out of her account, which they did.

Months later, she traveled abroad and back. On return, she was detained at the airport — apparently someone filed a complaint claiming she owes them this money (it's alleged to originally be linked to a theft from a wealthy individual, sent to her account without her involvement).

Police have now told her family that paying the amount will lead to her release, as if it's a settlement.

Questions:

If she already returned the money once (documented via the bank), how does someone push for a second payment of the same amount?

What should we be asking her lawyer to formally request from the prosecutor (e.g., proof the funds went back to the correct party, closure of the case in writing)?

Any recommended way to verify a payment channel is legitimate before sending anything?

Would appreciate any insight from people familiar with how these cases typically unfold, especially around bank-authorized reversals being used as evidence.

Hey guys I need help, landlord gave me a court notice for 1 year from the court to vacate the property citing he wants to sell. I vacated july of last year and by august, the room already had decorations and water bottles outside of it but nothing on property monitor. In January this year they sent me an email that they intend to bring the unit back to the market if I would be interested. I did not reply. Then i checked property monitor again and they backdated the contract date to August when the new tenant initially moved in and the rent was increased. Do I have a case. I have all the relevant documents that'd be needed and pictures from the room at the time it was rented.

Need an arabic lawyer if possible as the owner and the agents working for him are very connected. When i went to RDC to get more information, the attendant quickly recognised the Real estate agency and called the owner on a first name basis.

We are an Indian couple living in the UAE. We both lost our jobs and are stranded with an unexpected financial situation and with zero backup resources. I have an active RDC with my landlord and the Dubai court has issued a travel ban. We are literally zero in savings and are desperately in need of help to move back to India. We have been applying for jobs and got no response. We welcome any suggestions and assistance to help us move back to India. We cannot even call anyone as we are bankrupt. Thank you.

My brother is involved in a case of a worker's death on a construction site. He is not responsible and is wrongfully accused and here are the details:

he works in a construction company , he is a foremen/ site supervisor and for clarity will be calling him FOREMAN A. There was another supervisor / site in charge FOREMAN B who was responsible for the accident by not following safety procedures. this person was in charge and was signing all attendance documents and timesheets and work permits. (all this paperwork is available) at the time of the accident foreman A was not present on site (car gps records also available) , and was not signing any documents as he was not in charge.

when the accident occurred, foreman B was taken into custody along with other workers and was released after a few days by bail.

now the police contacted foreman A and he went to the station and gave his statement . only to learn that he was put among the suspects and is facing a possible criminal charge. it turns out that foreman B said he was not in charge and was taking orders from foreman A who was in charge.

Project manager is also listed among suspects and in the police statement he denied that foreman A was in charge. However, the general manager of the company was also questioned by the police and said that foreman A was in charge at the time ( he is very in favor of foreman B ) .

of course the company hired a lawyer for the whole case. I am worried that he will end up being charged and it will destroy his career. he is innocent. the case has not yet reached court, the police are still gathering statements from everyone involved.

please help on what is the best way to handle this especially that he cannot afford to hire a separate lawyer .

Brother-in-law showed middle finger during argument in Sharjah, now has court date and travel ban – what could happen?
My brother-in-law had an argument with a local person in Sharjah, UAE. During the argument, he showed the middle finger.
The other person reported it, and my brother-in-law later went to the police station. The police told him the case has been referred to court as a public misconduct/public indecency offense.
The incident happened on Friday. After visiting the police station, he was given a 2-day travel ban. And asked him to come to the court after 2 days.
We're trying to understand what the possible outcomes are in a case like this. Has anyone dealt with a similar situation in the UAE, particularly Sharjah?
Is a fine the most likely outcome?
Could there be jail time for a first offense?
Could an expatriate face deportation?
Does a short travel ban usually mean the case is still under investigation?
Any insight or personal experiences would be appreciated. We're not looking for legal representation here, just trying to understand what he might be facing.

I run a clothing business in the U.S. and a few months ago I ordered inventory from a clothing store in Abu Dhabi. I paid the full amount, and I have all the evidence—payment receipts, transaction details, WhatsApp chats, invoices, and everything else.
Since then, the seller has been completely ignoring me for months and hasn’t shipped the order or issued a refund. I’ve tried reaching out multiple times with no response.
I’m now looking to take legal action and recover my money. I have a friend in Dubai who can help me with the process.
If anyone here is a lawyer in the UAE, has dealt with something similar, or knows the best way to proceed, I’d really appreciate your advice or if you could point me in the right direction. Thanks!

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for legal advice regarding an online purchase dispute in Dubai.

I paid a total of AED 10,250 to a private individual (not a registered business, to my knowledge) for products that were supposed to be delivered to me. The payments were made directly to the individual’s bank account.
Despite multiple promises and delays, the products were never delivered. After repeated follow-ups, the individual agreed to refund the money and has already made several partial repayments. However, there is still an outstanding balance of AED 3,700 that remains unpaid.

I have:
- Bank transfer records
- WhatsApp conversations
- Proof of all payments
- Messages acknowledging the debt and promising to refund the remaining amount

I have already reported the matter to my bank and am considering filing a police report.

My questions are:
- Would this be considered fraud, a criminal matter, or a civil dispute?
- Does the fact that the seller is a private individual rather than a registered business affect my legal options?
- Can I still file a police case even though partial refunds have already been made?
- Is the evidence I have likely to be sufficient?
- What would be the best next step to recover the remaining AED 3,700?

Any advice from those familiar with Dubai law would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Long story short, a friend of mines is in jail in Dubai for a small bar fight, i have his jail ID number and he is a resident of Dubai but i am overseas in the west, is there a way i can help or send money via online or is it in person only? Also has anyone been to that jail? I hear mixed things on it and im a bit curious what a day to day for an inmate would be as well as how much store (commissary) items may cost and any additional information that can be helpful to me.

Thank you in advance!

Seeking advice on unpaid invoices for completed work in the UAE
Looking for some guidance from business owners/freelancers in the UAE.
I provide creative services and worked with a client for quite a while. We had an initial contract that expired, but the working relationship continued afterward through ongoing requests, deliveries, and communication on WhatsApp and other channels.
A few invoices from the last few months remain unpaid (AED 10k+). The work was completed and delivered, and we’re only asking to be paid for services already rendered. We’ve followed up multiple times but haven’t been able to resolve the matter.

A few questions:
How much weight do WhatsApp messages, invoices, and proof of delivery carry in the UAE?
Has anyone used debt collection agencies here? How do they work, and are they effective?
Is it better to send a legal notice first or go straight to filing a civil claim?
Any practical steps you’d recommend before escalating the matter?
Would appreciate hearing from anyone who’s dealt with something similar in the UAE.

Does anyone has connections or know a specific person or place I can go to request overstay fine reduction of 8000? I have visited several Amer centers and Gdrfa and immigration and ICP and tried online but nothing helped. I was born and raised in this country. I never visited my country. I was forced to quit my last job and all I ask for is fine reduction so I can start working. My visa is from Ajman.

I am getting a bunch of conflicting information

All the POA companies say they can't do a Dubai Courts Attested POA only a MOJ POA. 

But my developer is clear on it must be a Dubai Courts Attested POA. 

1. Am I able to obtain a Dubai Courts Attested POA by using the MOJ as a VIRTUAL notary and then filing / attesting / registering it with the Dubai Courts?  or NO? 

2. If I am is it only lawyers who can do this? because the POA companies keep saying it's only MOJ POA's that they can obtain. (I know a MOJ POA is also binding and no one should refuse it BUT again we're dealing with a company who is not going by law they're making up their own rules and I don't have time to fight against it right now. if i submit the moj poa they will refuse it.) 

3. If I come to Dubai physically am I able to obtain a Dubai Courts Attested POA in person quickly? if I go directly to the Dubai Court with all the necessary documents? OR will they require me to do some sort of notary here in my Country afterwards? Thanks for all your help in advance.

4. Does anyone have the number or email to the Dubai Courts? I am contacting their whatsapp number but they don't reply. I wanted to call and get the answers directly from them. Their email also bounced back.

5. long shot but thought i'd ask anyway - if anyone in dubai would be willing to call the dubai courts and ask the questions I wrote above and lmk the answers I would be so grateful and maybe can buy you lunch next time I'm there.

I need a clear path because I have been dragged in circles. Thanks in advance