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 came from Dubai to India on emergency leave, but unfortunately, I did not return. It has now been 12 years. Can I go to Dubai on a new visa? I have already received a new employment visa from another employer. Can I return to Dubai, or will there be any problems with UAE immigration? Please advise!

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?

Dear Lawyers, There is a JV agreement between Party A and Party B. An Addendum was made in which Party C was added and subcontracted all its work to both Party A and Party B, forming a wholly separate contract. There is an arbitration clause in the JV agreement. Is Party C bound by that clause? DIAC.

Dear Sir/Madam, What happens if an employee resigns after 1 year and 4 months of service? Are they eligible for gratuity and annual leave?

Dear Sir/Madam, I've been working at our company for more than 8 years. Is it legal to resign if my visa was just renewed last March 2024? My reason for resigning is that the owner hasn't given me a salary since March.

Dear Sir/Madam, Seeking legal help for a dispute with a shipping company. They are holding onto our goods because, during the Dubai floods, they were closed and refused delivery. We urgently need legal help to resolve this, as the storage charges are increasing each day. Can you please advise on how to proceed?

Dear Sir/Madam, I am an expatriate in Dubai. I joined a company in Dubai, and my contract started in November 2023. It is a limited contract. Due to some issues with the management, they informed me that I would have to leave the company in March 2024, which I did. Upon asking them to cancel my visa so I can return home, they said I have to pay around 5000 AED towards the visa expenses. I have asked them for the exact amount, but they haven’t provided it yet. My passport is with them. I would like to check whether I have to pay the visa expense to them. Since I am not aware of the formalities, I haven’t approached the Labour Department to get my passport back to leave. I fear they may cause more trouble if I initiate a complaint. I would like to seek your valuable advice on how to proceed to claim my passport and exit UAE. Please help!

I am writing to seek your legal expertise and advice on a pressing issue concerning a property sale transaction that my brokerage company has facilitated. Here are the details: Our brokerage company represented the seller in a property sale where the property was sold with an existing rental agreement in place. As per the terms of the agreement, the rental balance was supposed to be given to the buyer, who is now the new owner of the property. In this transaction, our company is entitled to a 40% commission, and the buyer's brokerage company is entitled to 60%. However, the buyer's brokerage company, which has complete control over the buyer's funds, has transferred the entire 100% commission to their own account. They are currently withholding this commission, stating that they will release it once the rental balance is paid to the buyer. Unfortunately, we have lost contact with the buyer, as he has blocked the seller's agent, making it impossible for us to fulfill this condition.

سيدي العزيز لقد تقدمت بطلب للحصول على برامج Canada AIPP من إحدى وكالات الاستشارات في دبي في عام 2021، وأخبروني أن العملية ستستغرق عامًا واحدًا. والآن استغرقت أكثر من عامين. أخبروني أنهم تقدموا لي هذه السنوات ولكن لم أتلق أي رد من أي شركة، وعندما طلبت منهم إخباري بمكان تقديم الطلب، أخبروني أنه سري. الآن أخبرتهم بإيقاف العملية وسوف يعيدون لي أموالي ولكن سيكون المبلغ أقل بكثير وفقًا لهم. يرجى إخباري كيف يمكنني الحصول على أموالي حيث دفعت ما يقرب من 9000 درهم إماراتي أو كيف يمكنني المضي قدمًا بشكل قانوني.

مرحباً لقد عملت في شركة تحت كفيل محلي مع شريكين لمدة 6 سنوات وستنتهي تأشيرتي الشهر المقبل. ومع ذلك، أبلغتني شركتي أنها ستنقل تأشيرتي إلى شركتها الأخرى مع نفس المالك مع شريك جديد (بدون كفيل محلي). في هذه الحالة، ماذا علي أن أفعل؟ هل سيتم إضافة مكافأة نهاية الخدمة السابقة إلى تأشيرتي الجديدة أم يجب أن أحصل على مكافأة نهاية الخدمة وأعمل كموظف جديد؟ يرجى تقديم اقتراح.

مرحبًا، اشترينا شقة في يوليو. الشقة مؤجرة حتى نهاية نوفمبر مع المالك السابق الذي قدم لهم إشعار إخلاء العام الماضي لبيع المنزل. الآن يريدون تجديد العقد لكننا لا نريد التجديد لأننا نريد الانتقال إلى شقتنا للعيش فيها. هل يمكننا الانتقال إلى شقتنا ويجب على المستأجر الخروج؟ هل يمكن للمستأجر رفض الخروج؟

سيدي/سيدتي، أرسل لي مالك العقار إشعارًا بالتجديد لمدة 86 يومًا إلى عنوان بريد إلكتروني قديم لم يعد يعمل، على الرغم من أننا قمنا بتحديث عنوان بريدنا الإلكتروني ورقم الهاتف في نظامهم العام الماضي. لم نكن نعرف عن الإشعار حتى أرسلت لهم زوجتي بريدًا إلكترونيًا لمتابعة تجديدنا، وأرسلوا لنا لقطة شاشة للإشعار تحت البريد الإلكتروني القديم. زيادة الإيجار من 27000 درهم إماراتي إلى 32000 درهم إماراتي وهو ما لا يتماشى مع إرشادات مؤسسة التنظيم العقاري. هل لدينا فرصة جيدة للفوز بالشكوى إذا قدمنا ​​واحدة؟

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!

Hello, How can I be exempted from paying the 5% court fee, and where should I go to apply?

Hello, Our customer has gone into liquidation, and we are shipping goods to Saudi Arabia. We have stopped the shipment and requested payment of their outstanding balance. How can we request to take ownership of their goods to sell in order to recover our outstanding invoices? Is this possible in Dubai Courts?

Hello, I bought an apartment, but the previous landlord is refusing to vacate it. The contract clearly states that the landlord should hand over the apartment on the day of the transfer. Out of courtesy, I gave him three days to vacate so he could find a new place to stay, but the time has passed, and he is still refusing to vacate and hand it over. What should I do in this case?

Hello. I went to a very well-known and professional salon (or so I thought) for a normal hair dye. The guy who did my hair left the dye on my hair for over an hour when it was supposed to be on for a maximum of 30 minutes. He wasn’t paying attention to me walking around the store talking to everyone and also doing another customer's extensions. Now my hair is potentially damaged, my skull burns, and is flaky (meaning the dye wasn’t ammonia-free which is extremely unprofessional for such an expensive salon). I didn’t even get the outcome that I wanted and the dye color doesn’t even show. I talked to him about it but he shut it down so fast and gaslit me the whole time and made me feel like I was the wrong one and I was ‘complaining about something so light’. Please let me know what I can do legally about this. Thank you.

Hi, I have a tenant who defaulted on rent payment. His cheque bounced due to account closure. He promised cash payment but hasn't delivered. I want to evict him. The property is in Dubai. How do I proceed legally? Appreciate step-by-step guidance according to the law. Thank you!

Salam, I received an email from a company in the UAE - which is a collection agency - informing me that I had a travel ban and arrest warrant issued in the UAE for an unpaid loan a week ago. I currently live in the US. I have sent them many emails asking them how can I pay or make installments to settle this amount of 332,430 dirhams. I am currently working with them and trying to resolve the issue. My question is I would like to know if I travel for 5 days to Doha, Qatar in May, will I be detained or I will be ok? I don’t believe so I just want to be sure because I will be with my family. Thank you again.

Is it legal for debt collectors to contact the employee's workplace when you have defaulted on your payment?

My company engaged a Dubai-based entity, registered in India, on a three-month contract for project upgrade, maintenance, and delivery. Then they ceased communication 2 weeks before completion and failed to deliver the promised services after payment. What legal recourse should my company pursue? What specific legal expertise or counsel should we seek to address this breach of contract?

Hi, My husband lost his job 6 years back and he has not been able to find a job. He got a loan from a bank and they filed a civil case. We also came to know he has a standing warrant of arrest. I want to know what I can do for him. Should my husband go to Dubai Courts and check what he can do to settle the case or they will arrest him immediately? Should I go on his behalf and check what steps we can take to settle this case? Thank you in advance for your legal advice.