سيدي العزيز / سيدتي العزيزة، لقد وقعت عقد عمل مع وزارة العمل ولم يكن به شرط "عدم المنافسة". الآن، أريد مغادرة الشركة، لكن صاحب العمل يريد مني أن أوقع على شرط "عدم المنافسة" في عقد الإنهاء. في هذه الحالة هل سيطبق علي شرط عدم المنافسة أم لا؟

Dear Questioner, In the UAE, is there a maximum amount an employer can deduct from an employee's severance pay due to damage/negligence?

Hi, I wanted to purchase a 2-bedroom apartment in JVC Dubai. I gave a 10% security deposit cheque to the seller. The price mentioned in the MoU is very high compared to other similar apartments in the same building. The bank’s valuation also came in very low. Since the valuation is much lower, how can I terminate the MoU and get my cheque back? The MoU ends on 1st October 2024. One of the articles in the MoU states: In the event that the Buyer fails to make the payments as agreed or fails to complete the transfer on the agreed date due to his own acts or omissions, the Seller has the right to terminate this agreement and retain the deposit, provided that the termination is due to a violation of the agreed terms, unless both parties agree amicably to different dates. I need help urgently.

صباح الخير، ما الطُرق المتاحة للإنذار بأمر الأداء قبل إقامة الدعوى في حال كون المدَّعِي (فرد) والمدَّعَى عليه (شركة) في الإمارات؟ شكرًا!

السلام عليكم، اتفقت الشركة مع مكتب محاماة على عقد سنوي بمبلغ مقطوع بالإضافة إلى نسبة من المبلغ الذي يتم تحصيله من القضايا. هل يستحق المحامي نسبة من الفائدة القانونية المقضي بها حكمًا؟

Dear Respected Lawyers, Subject: Request for Legal Advice Regarding Unlawful Practices by a Debt Collection Agency I would greatly appreciate your advice and guidance regarding a troubling issue my colleague is facing with a collection agency. The company has been contacting the employer, urging them to ask my colleague to get in touch with them regarding a supposed liability. This claim is related to a 15-year-old closed dispute with a bank credit card, and the issue seems to stem from outdated and inaccurate information on the AECB report. Our main concerns are as follows: Unauthorized Access: The company is accessing her AECB report without her consent. She has never given permission for them to retrieve or view her personal financial information. How is it possible for a third-party agency to openly access and track AECB reports, especially for a dispute that was resolved 15 years ago?

I was evicted from my apartment after living there for five years. My landlord informed me a year in advance that the lease would not be renewed because he intended to sell the property. Prior to this, he attempted to impose a rent increase that was not compliant with RERA regulations, which I refused to accept. He then served me with an official Dubai Court eviction notice, citing the need to take back the property for sale. Five months after I moved out, I discovered the property was rented out at a much higher price. Upon further investigation, I found that the ownership was transferred as a "Gift" rather than a sale. This makes it seem like the eviction was only to raise the rent rather than a genuine need to sell. Do I have a valid case for wrongful eviction against my landlord? Also, under Dubai law, does transferring ownership as a "Gift" hold the same legal grounds as selling in justifying eviction?

Hello, My ex-wife has abused me in chat and called me the following: illiterate, beggar, and said that I don’t have [------]. She called me a bad parent and a bad son. Can I file a cyberbullying, defamation, or abuse case against her? What are my options?

Hi I'm an Irish citizen and a resident of the United Kingdom. I got investment fraud in Dubai. I invested money into a business with a Pakistani national guy in March 2024 via bank transfer into his business account. Now he's giving back the money which I invested in business after 9 months. He's preparing a letter from a local lawyer to kick me out of the business. I do not have any other option than to take out at least my money. But it's unfair to me that he used my money in business and took all the advantage. Some people say to me that if you claim money or take legal action against him, it will take too much time and I need to travel to Dubai to appear in court because it is a civil matter. But I'm not a resident. How can I follow the civil case there? That's why my partner knows that I can not do anything and this case keeps running long time and in the end nothing happens. But I'm thinking that I will submit a complaint through my embassy and I also have a solicitor in the United Kingdom.

Dear Lawyers, My relative lost his wife during childbirth due to clear medical negligence, as stated in the report from the DHA medical committee. He had to relocate to India due to the situation and is currently working there. Please guide us on the steps to take for justice and compensation.

كيف يمكن لشركة ذات مسؤولية محدودة أن تعلن إفلاسها؟

Hi I'm a tenant of an apartment and a new owner has purchased the apartment. I would like to know: 1. Should I revise the Ejari by canceling the previous one and applying for a new one? 2. My current rent is 35% less than the current market value. Can the new owner change the rent as per the market value, or he still has to follow the RERA Index calculator for a new contract?

I'm staying in JLT in a house with a rent of AED 140,000 per year. The lease starts on 1st Sep '23 and expires on 31st Aug '24. The landlord sent me a legal notice from the Dubai Courts in mid-Sep '23, giving me 1-year notice to vacate the house as he plans to sell the house. The notice was received by me through email from the court. He claims the email notice sent by the court is not valid till I receive it by courier via Aramex for my physical signature. Can you please confirm if this is true? The landlord is now ready to let me stay in this house for two more years. He has proposed that we maintain the existing lease agreement and Ejari. However, I should pay him AED 14,000 in cash (10% increment). We will sign a separate paper document wherein we will agree that I will further rent increase of 10% (10% on (140,000+14,000)) on 1st Sep'24 when my current lease expires. Should I insist on making a fresh written contract with the higher rent (140,000+14,000=154,000)?

Hello. I have been with my employer for 15 months, and my employment contract is for two years. Is it possible to terminate the contract before the end of the two-year term?

Hi I have signed the MOU Form F since July 2023 and we prepared all the papers and the loan from my end on 23/8/2023. When I went to DLD for the transfer, the seller had registration issues and asked for some papers to be provided as the property is under the company not an individual. Since that time, we have kept renewing the MOU every month in the hope of finalizing but I am not seeing any progress. So I am asking about legal action as I already got a bank mortgage and started paying as well but not seeing any progress from the seller. So I need to ask the following: 1. If my MOU expired on 20.11.2023, can I file a complaint on 20 or after a couple of days like 23? 2. What will happen in terms of 10%? Will it be returned and what about the fees paid to the bank like mortgage fees, evaluation, and cancellation of loan? Will the EMI payment be compensated by the seller? 3. What is your advice? Thanks

سيدي العزيز / سيدتي العزيز، من المقرر أن يكون شيك الإيجار الخاص بي مستحقًا غدًا، ولسوء الحظ، لا أستطيع الوفاء به. طلبت من مالك العقار الانتظار بضعة أيام لكنه لا يريد الانتظار وقال لي إنه سيصرف الشيك غدًا. بالطبع الشيك سوف يرتجع، ما هو الإجراء بعد ذلك؟ هل هناك فترة سماح قبل الإخلاء لدفع الإيجار؟

Dear Sir/Madam, Does the existing tenancy contract between the tenant and the previous owner remain in force even after the new landlord has purchased the property in the middle of an ongoing lease? And when should a new tenancy contract be made? Should it be made immediately after the property has been sold, or at the end of the ongoing tenancy contract signed between the previous owner of the property and the tenant? Also, does a new contract have to be in place for the tenant to exchange the cheques, or does the existing tenancy contract with the previous owner remain valid for the purpose of exchanging the cheques?

Dear Sir/Madam, I was wrongfully terminated by my school under Article 44 on March 20th, 2023. I have a case in the labor courts, and the first hearing is on April 4th, 2023. However, my employer is asking me to vacate the school accommodation. I asked the Ministry of Labor and the courts, and they informed me that the school cannot evict me until the case is resolved. Is this information correct? I am currently unemployed and have nowhere else to go until I find another job.

Hi, May you and your family be blessed. I'm extremely tense and need your kind feedback on the following issue. If I have a travel ban in KSA, can I travel to the UAE on a work visa? I have been visiting Dubai on a tourist visa without any problems. The ban was imposed because I had to leave KSA suddenly and could not return after an exit-entry, and I was unable to pay back my car EMI and credit card payment totaling 30k SAR, which I intend to pay off gradually now. When I left KSA, they only had my fingerprints at the time. I also understand that while coming for a visit to Dubai, only a retinal scan is done. On the other hand, when obtaining a work visa, UAE takes and registers fingerprints as well. Could this lead to any issues for me? I have finally obtained a better-paying job after a long time and can finally save up to pay off my debts. The case registered for which the travel ban is imposed is only for SAR 16000. As of now, I cannot afford to hire a lawyer to check in UAE. Thank you for your help!

Dear Sir/Madam, My landlord wants to evict me from the property where I reside. They have not provided a court order for eviction within the past 12 months. Additionally, they are requesting a 40% increase in rent and are insisting on a 6-month fixed-term renewal, despite the RERA index indicating no such increase. Furthermore, they have included an unreasonable clause that prohibits pets, even though I have lived on the property with a pet for over three years.  What options do I have if I do not agree to these demands?