Q: Dear Lawyers, I hired a contractor for my apartment renovation, and we agreed on the scope of work based on the quotation they provided. I have paid them almost 90% of the total value, but they have not completed the work on time and have not used the materials specified in the quote. They have also significantly delayed the project, and despite multiple follow-ups, they never provided the milestone details for the payment schedule, nor did they adhere to the timelines they committed to. I have payment details, the agreed-upon quotation signed by them, as well as email exchanges and WhatsApp group discussions. However, I don’t have a formal contract or agreement. I made payments whenever they requested, but they have cheated me, resulting in a significant loss of time and money due to delays. I am seeking legal help to obtain a refund from this company and take necessary action against them.

Q: Hi, I got an approved contractor in my villa for bathroom and kitchen work but he really failed to bring what he promised. The finishing is really really bad. Parts of the ceiling are falling down every few days. The kitchen is in a very bad shape, they used silicon to attach tiles instead of glue. Some doors fell off after a few times using, and some doors can’t even be opened because another door is blocking their way. The toilets are a total mess, some tiles are broken, the door frame got destroyed with the work so they took some glue and painted above, the bathroom tub is not fixed and can be moved. They closed one part of the walls with a tile without removing the window, they installed a fake wall in front but forgot to close the window, so the window is open from the outside but can’t be closed because of the new wall. These, are just a few, really few things. In the contract we agreed that he would finish the work by the 19th of December, any delay causes an AED 1000 fine a day.

س: أرسلت لنا شركة مقاولات في الإمارات العربية المتحدة بريدًا إلكترونيًا مع تصريح من سلطة دبي للتطوير لبناء غرفة في منزلنا. ثم بعد ذلك حصلوا على موافقة من سلطة دبي للتطوير. لدينا البريد الإلكتروني الأصلي من السلطة الذي يفيد بإصدار التصريح بتاريخ 04.07.21. لكن في العقد تغير التاريخ إلى 04.08.21. نسعى للحصول على مشورة قانونية ما إذا كان من الممكن اعتبار ذلك جريمة في دولة الإمارات بسبب التلاعب بالمستند، وإذا كان بإمكان أي محام أن يؤكد لنا ما إذا كانت هذه قضية حقيقية يمكن رفعها في محاكم دبي؟ وأي قانون يطبق على تزوير مستند عن طريق البريد الإلكتروني . السبب في قيام المقاول بتزوير المستند هو أنهم أخذوا الدفعة منا وأرادوا تأخير المشروع واستمروا في إخبارنا بأن سلطة دبي للتطوير لم تمنح أي موافقة. فقط بعد الاتصال بسلطة دبي للتطوير مباشرة، حصلنا على المستند الأصلي الذي يوضح تاريخًا مختلفًا.

Q: Hello, I am currently employed as a subcontractor to work on a project in Dubai. As a general practice, I have provided a security cheque against the advance payment, and the client is now threatening to deposit the cheque even after completing more than 50% of the works due to various delays on site. Is this legal? What steps can I take to protect myself?

An interview-format article covering the topic of contracts in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.

The provisions of this law, promulgating UAE Civil Code, govern the civil transactions in the United Arab Emirates. The commercial transactions remain subject to the laws and regulations applicable in their regard.