Hello, I have multiple cheque execution cases filed against me due to financial strains last year. My trade license and visa will expire next month, along with my Emirates ID. Is it possible for me to renew my license and visa along with EID prior to settling the execution cases? The trade license and visa were issued by the free zone authority. I look forward to your response. Thanks.

Dear Legal Advice Middle East, I hope you are well. I am seeking legal advice regarding an unpaid salary issue with my former employer, [-----]2 LLC. I was employed with them from December 4, 2024, to January 7, 2025, on a monthly salary of 5,000 AED. However, I only received a partial payment of 2,473 AED on February 24, 2025. The remaining 2,527 AED is still unpaid. I submitted a complaint to MOHRE on March 2, 2025, but I am unable to proceed further through their official channels. This is because I was working under the visa of my previous employer, [---] LLC, and not under [----]’s sponsorship. As a result, I do not meet the criteria to file a labor complaint via the MOHRE app or hotline. Given this situation, I would appreciate your guidance on how I can legally pursue the recovery of my remaining salary, considering the complications related to my visa status during the employment.

Hello, An investor has a residence visa valid until February 2027; however, he wishes to close the company before the current license expires in December 2025. Can the investor still legally reside in the UAE until the residence visa expires?

Hello, I already have a dispute order with MOHRE. Then my employer became willing to settle the case. What should I do in case they do not follow through with the promised amount to pay?

Hello, My employee provided a resignation. Our company offered a salary raise and made a deal with him where he agreed to continue with us, but it’s not on paper. He suddenly stopped coming to work, stating he doesn’t want to work anymore. What rights do we have as a company, and what can we do about it?

Hi, I am a non-Muslim indian expatriate, residing in Dubai since 2015. The first 5 years, I was on a working visa, and after the delivery of my first baby, I left my job and became dependent on my husband. In 2018, we bought a house together where I invested AED 2 hundred thousand from my income (I have proof in the form of a cheque). I also paid AED 3300 monthly installment for 1 year, for a personal loan taken out for the house. But in spite of my resistance, my husband tactfully put the house in his name, so the title deed was in his name. In 2024, when my kids and I were in India for vacation, he cancelled our visas and residency. He also filed for a divorce in India. The divorce is not yet finalised, and we are still married. Since August 2024, he hasn't let me access my house in Dubai, so I filed a case, which eventually went in my favor in January 2025. Since I used to travel on a visit visa, I left for India and returned in March, to find out that my husband had already sold the house. The new owner is residing there. What can I do now? Help!

Hi I'm a nanny, and at the same time, I work as a housemaid (khadama) here in the house. I work, but as I know, the nannies and housemaids have different rights, and my employer doesn't give me rest. My work starts at 7:30 am and then finishes at 10 pm or less. It depends on whether the baby is asleep or what time they will take on me if not yet asleep. Is this right? Also, at the time of eating, I'm still working because the baby is with me, so I just let her sit in her chair. That's how I eat. Please answer me. I want to know my rights. Because if I can leave during the 6-month probation, I want to take it if the employer is this kind. I don't know. They are also expats, but they don't follow the rules of the UAE regarding a housemaid.

I recently joined a new organization in the Hamriyah Free Zone, and my previous organization has not released my end-of-service benefits. The HR has instructed the finance team not to do so because I had contacted one of their clients. In my DMCC contract, there is no Non-Compete clause, but the offer letter has one, and now they are not releasing the end-of-service. Is this legal? What are my rights?

Hello, I have multiple cheque execution cases filed against me due to financial strains last year. My trade license and visa will expire next month, along with my Emirates ID. Is it possible for me to renew my license and visa along with EID prior to settling the execution cases? The trade license and visa were issued by the free zone authority. I look forward to your response. Thanks.

Hello, I already have a dispute order with MOHRE. Then my employer became willing to settle the case. What should I do in case they do not follow through with the promised amount to pay?

Hello, Is there any restriction on a diplomat buying property in the UAE, where he works as a diplomat at his country's consulate?

Hi. One of my friends joined a Telegram group. They said, "We will transfer some amount to your account, and your task is to transfer this amount to another account. Once the task is completed, you will get 30 or 50 AED per task." He completed 3 to 4 tasks, but he realized it was not good, so he stopped. After one week, when he opened his account, it was blocked, and the bank said, "We are conducting an investigation; after this, we will let you know." After some days, he had an accident and went to his home country. He then received a call from a landline number, which was from the Abu Dhabi police station. They said, "We have received a complaint against you; come to our investigation department." However, due to his surgery and treatment, he could not go. After some time, his bank account was reopened, and he did not receive any further calls. I want to know, if he comes back to the UAE or goes to any other GCC country, will he face any problems? If someone has a case in the UAE, can they travel to another GCC country? Please advise!

Hello, What legal action can I take in case the employer refuses to pay my salary and I don't have a contract with them?

I currently live in Sharjah and have a UAE residence visa but I am not a UAE or GCC national. I want to open an online shop (Etsy or Shopify) to sell handmade items, such as crocheted goods, bookmarks, greeting cards, etc. Do I need a license to open an Etsy shop? If so, which license do I need to sell my products online, including UAE and worldwide? How much would it cost me? Can I keep my residence visa (sponsored by my father) and not change it?

Hello, I am seeking your legal advice regarding a friend who was previously imprisoned in Abu Dhabi. His case there is now closed, but he has another ongoing case in Dubai. Currently, we have lost contact with him and are unsure of his whereabouts. How can we check where he is or access any other legal facility? Are there legal procedures to locate a person with an ongoing case? What steps should we take to get more information about his status and legal position?

لقد انتهي عقد عملي محدد المدة في 7 أبريل وما زلت أعمل وأحصل على راتبي، ومع ذلك، لم يخطرني صاحب العمل بعد بشأن تجديد العقد. في حالة عدم تجديد عقد العمل، هل يحق لي الحصول على تعويض لعدم تلقي إشعار مسبق بعدم التجديد؟

تحياتي، سأقوم بتشغيل موقع إلكتروني (مدونة + إعلانات مبوبة) من المنزل، والذي سيقدم بعض الخدمات وسيقوم بنشر الإعلانات، وسيقبل العضوية في بعض البلدان التي تتحدث اللغة الإنجليزية. إنني أقيم في إمارة دبي. بما أن الموقع يتطلب اشتراكًا مجانيًا، أريد أن أسأل عما إذا كنت مُلزمًا بتسجيله باعتباره عمل تجاري في أي مكان حتى يكون وضعي قانونيًا، وفي حالة لم أقم بتسجيله، هل سيتم سؤالي عن ذلك أو إلقاء القبض علي بسبب تشغيل هذا الموقع. الموقع قيد الصيانة في الوقت الحالي، وسيتم بثه بعد اكتماله. أريد توضيح بعض النقاط التي أقلق بشأنها حقًا: 1- هل أحتاج إلى تسجيل الموقع الإلكتروني بشكل قانوني باعتباره عمل تجاري؟ إذا كانت الإجابة نعم، هل يمكنك مساعدتي في معرفة كيفية القيام بذلك؟ إذا قمت بتسجيل الموقع في بلدٍ واحد - دعنا نقول دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة - هل سيكون وضعي قانونيًا في الدول الأخرى مثل المملكة المتحدة والولايات المتحدة الأمريكية؟ 2- تُعد اللائحة العامة لحماية البيانات نقطة هامة حقًا يتعين علينا مراعاتها بشكل خاص في المواقع الإلكترونية التي تجمع المعلومات من الزوار إذا لزم الأمر. ما هي النقاط الرئيسية التي يجب أن نركز عليها في اللائحة العامة لحماية البيانات؟ يرجى مساعدتي في تحسين وضع الموقع الإلكتروني لحل أي مشكلة قانونية غير متوقعة. تحياتي.

إنني أعمل بصفتي مدير في شركة إماراتية، لقد عملت لمدة عامين بموجب عقد عمل غير محدد المدة. لقد تلقيت تعليمات بأنني في إجازة غير مدفوعة الأجر لمدة ثلاثة أشهر بسبب الوضع الحالي. طلبت مني الشركة التي أعمل بها التوقيع على ملحق لعقد العمل الخاص بي يُفيد بأنني أقبل قضاء فترة الإجازة غير مدفوعة الأجر هذه. إذا قبلت ذلك، هل لا يزال بإمكاني الاستقالة خلال فترة الإجازة غير مدفوعة الأجر التي تبلغ مدتها ثلاثة أشهر إذا حصلت على وظيفة أخرى؟

يجب أن أحصل على تسويتي النهائية بحلول 9 مايو حيث سيكون آخر يوم عمل لي هو الثاني من مايو. عرضت علي الشركة أن تسدد لي المبلغ على دفعتين. لقد أرسلوا لي تحويلًا بنكيًا في الأسبوع الأول من شهر مايو وتم إعطائي شيكًا مؤجل الدفع في الأسبوع الأول من شهر يونيو مقابل نسبة 50% المتبقية من المبلغ. المشكلة هي أنني لم أخطط للبقاء شهرًا إضافيًا حيث يجب أن أغادر البلاد. 1- هل من القانوني الدفع بهذه الطريقة؟ ماذا يمكنني أن أفعل؟ 2- إذا اضطررت للبقاء، هل يجب عليهم دفع مصاريفي (الإيجار والفواتير) للبقاء شهرًا إضافيًا داخل البلاد؟

السلام عليكم، ما المقصود بحل الشركة ذات المسؤولية المحدودة؟ وكيف يتم حلها؟ ومن له الحق أن يطالب بحل الشركة؟

السلام عليكم، أود الاستفسار بشأن قضية إبعاد زوج خالتي من دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة. زوج خالتي كان مقيماً في الإمارات وكان قد وُلد وترعرع هناك. في عام 2013 تم إبعاده من الإمارات، وكان ذلك نتيجة لسياسات حكومية كانت تستهدف مجموعة من المقيمين في تلك الفترة، وهو لم يكن قد ارتكب أي مخالفة في ذلك الوقت وكان يُعتبر ضحية للسياسات المتبعة. أرغب في معرفة الإجراءات التي يجب أن أتبعها حالياً من أجل رفع هذا الإبعاد وتمكينه من العودة إلى الإمارات. أرجو أن توضح لي كيف يمكنني مساعدته في هذا الموضوع. شكراً جزيلاً.

I recently joined a new organization in the Hamriyah Free Zone, and my previous organization has not released my end-of-service benefits. The HR has instructed the finance team not to do so because I had contacted one of their clients. In my DMCC contract, there is no Non-Compete clause, but the offer letter has one, and now they are not releasing the end-of-service. Is this legal? What are my rights?

Hello, I have multiple cheque execution cases filed against me due to financial strains last year. My trade license and visa will expire next month, along with my Emirates ID. Is it possible for me to renew my license and visa along with EID prior to settling the execution cases? The trade license and visa were issued by the free zone authority. I look forward to your response. Thanks.

Dear Legal Advice Middle East, I hope you are well. I am seeking legal advice regarding an unpaid salary issue with my former employer, [-----]2 LLC. I was employed with them from December 4, 2024, to January 7, 2025, on a monthly salary of 5,000 AED. However, I only received a partial payment of 2,473 AED on February 24, 2025. The remaining 2,527 AED is still unpaid. I submitted a complaint to MOHRE on March 2, 2025, but I am unable to proceed further through their official channels. This is because I was working under the visa of my previous employer, [---] LLC, and not under [----]’s sponsorship. As a result, I do not meet the criteria to file a labor complaint via the MOHRE app or hotline. Given this situation, I would appreciate your guidance on how I can legally pursue the recovery of my remaining salary, considering the complications related to my visa status during the employment.

Hello, Does the initiation of an online rental dispute case by a landlord in Dubai automatically lead to the imposition of a travel ban on the tenant? This is not related to bounced cheques; the dispute concerns wear and tear versus damage claims by the landlord.

Hi, I need some guidance regarding a property transaction that is not progressing as expected. My broker initiated a manual Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between me (the Buyer) and the Seller, with an expiry date of 01/02/2025. Within this period, I successfully arranged the bank mortgage, property evaluation, and NOC. However, the broker started giving excuses, such as the seller being hospitalized. Later, the broker attempted to arrange a Power of Attorney (POA). However, after that, they started ignoring my messages and calls. It now seems like they no longer intend to proceed with me, and the MOU has already expired. Meanwhile, my bank EMI has already started, and I have paid two monthly installments. The broker is still unresponsive. I have raised multiple complaints through DLD RVS against the broker, but the response has been very slow and unsatisfactory. I’m feeling stuck and financially burdened. Please advise

Hey, I'm building my house in Dubai, and it was going well. I gave the contractor 420k as a first payment, and we both agreed that the rest would be in installments. Just two months ago, the contractor went off the grid, and I can't find him. All I have is a security cheque that bounced back when I went to the bank, as the signature doesn't match what's in the file. However, I learnt that he does have money, but not the amount that's in the cheque. What should I do now to get my money back? I need advice.

Hello, I was an employee of a major group in the UAE. Now, they have transferred me to another entity within the same group in the UAE. What happens to the benefits and allowances agreed upon by the first entity? Please provide the legal details related to this matter, along with the relevant statutory provisions.

Hello, A client of mine used our consulting services online and is refusing to pay. Despite multiple reminders, she still has not made the payment. What legal action can I take against her?

Hello, A juvenile case has been withdrawn by a third party, but the prosecution doesn’t want to end it. The child is out on bail. Now the case has moved to court. What steps should be taken next, or how will they handle it?

سيدي العزيز، لقد اعتبرت الشركة التي أعمل بها منصبي زائدًا عن حاجة العمل بسبب تداعيات فيروس كورونا. إنني أعمل بموجب عقد عمل محدد المدة. لقد أعطوني فترة إشعار مدتها شهر واحد بالإضافة إلى مستحقات نهاية الخدمة. هل يُعد هذا الأمر صحيحًا أم يجب منحي فترة إشعار مدتها ثلاثة أشهر؟ يرجى التوضيح.