Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers
3 available 3 • View allI signed an NDA not to join a competitor company. Is this agreement enforceable according to UAE law?




0
Q: In the UAE, I joined an IT company as an IT salesperson. I signed an NDA stating that I will not join any competitor company.
After my visa cancellation from that company, can I still join any IT company according to UAE law?
+1
Apr 22, 2025
150
Can my former employer take legal action aginst me due a non-compete clause if I started a similar business?




0
Q: Dear Lawyers,
I need your advice regarding a non-compete clause in my contract.
I left my former employer last September, and they were a free zone company. I have since started a similar business online with a Tajer license.
However, my ex-employer is sending me emails daily, threatening to take legal action if I don’t close my business.
Can you advise on my rights and the best course of action?
Best regards,
Jan 31, 2025
181
I resigned and joined another company and facing a case based on the non-compete agreement. What to do? 



0
Q: Hi.
I have resigned from a company to move out of the country. Later I decided to come back and I asked them if they could take me back.
They declined and I have a message stating that I'm free to join anywhere. I joined a new organization and they are filing a labor case for a non-compete clause and not clearing my FnF.
Dec 9, 2024
169
Legal blog
1 available 1 • View allAn Overview of the New UAE Labor Law and Recent Amendments of 2024 236
The UAE has adopted a major reform in its legislative system that brought about 40 new laws and amendments to the company law, criminal law, personal status, among others. The amendments aim to develop the legislative structure in various sectors, the labor law being one of these, was the most recent. We try in this article to shed light on the changes introduced with the new labor law and their significance on both, the employer and employee.
Sep 10, 2024
96845
Laws & Regulations
1 available 1 • View allFederal Decree-Law No. (33) of 2021 On the Regulation of Labor Relations 34
The provisions of this Decree-Law, known as "New UAE Labor Law", govern labour relations in the private sector of the United Arab Emirates. The New Labor Law repeals the previous UAE Labor Law (Federal Law No. (8) of 1980).
Sep 20, 2021
28145

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Do I still have to vacate my apartment if I received an eviction notice from the previous landlord? 0
I live in Dubai. I received an eviction notice last year from the company that owned my apartment on the pretext of sale.
The apartment was subsequently sold to an individual, and I have paid him the rent once.
Does the eviction notice have any legal standing now?
Sep 15, 2025
51
How can I obtain the final court order requested by my insurer for my accident case? 0
Hi,
My vehicle was involved in an accident, during which another car collided with mine. The occupants of the other vehicle sustained severe injuries and were hospitalized.
The police provided me with a report to submit to my insurance company; however, the insurer has requested a final court order.
As I am not aware of the status of this court order, could you please advise me on how to obtain this information and whom I should contact regarding the matter?
Sep 17, 2025
30
I was misled during the purchase of my off-plan apartment in Dubai. Can I claim compensation? 0
I believe I was misled during the purchase of my off-plan apartment in Dubai.
The sales manager strongly emphasized that the unit had a lagoon view and Burj Khalifa from the side, which was a key factor in my decision.
This lagoon view was even shown on their internal sales system, but it was never written into the official Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA).
After the handover, I discovered the apartment has no such view. I have supporting evidence, including WhatsApp messages, voice notes, and brochures that clearly mention the lagoon view.
This misrepresentation caused me financial loss, since when I tried to resell, the value was much lower without the promised view.
My questions are: based on these facts, do I have a strong legal case for misrepresentation?
Can I realistically claim compensation or a partial refund?
What steps and documents are required to evaluate the case properly?
Also, would like to know an estimate of the cost and expected time for such proceedings.
Sep 19, 2025
35
Can I file a complaint against my company for discrimination between employees? 0
I am working in the UAE and facing issues of workplace favoritism and possible discrimination.
Despite being a consistent top performer with many years of experience, I was rejected for a promotion that was instead given to someone with less experience and weaker performance.
When I asked for feedback, I was given contradictory and false reasons, including being told that HR rejected me based on “how I sat in the interview,” even though it was an audio-only call.
I was also told that promotions are not based on performance but on whether I had the “manager’s blessings.”
In addition, I have observed:
- Promotions are repeatedly going to people from the same community or close to managers.
- Most of the management team belongs to one community.
- Shift schedules are being changed after release to favor certain individuals.
This has created a toxic environment with no fair career growth opportunities.
My question is, under UAE labor law, do I have grounds to challenge this type of favoritism?
Sep 19, 2025
46
I received a judgment for a criminal case that I did not know about. Should I appeal it? 0
I had a criminal case registered against me due to a telegram scam in Dubai. But I didn't know about it.
It's been more than 6 months, and now I know about the case against me again.
Can I appeal it in court, or will the judgment be enforced now?
Sep 3, 2025
91

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Do I still have to vacate my apartment if I received an eviction notice from the previous landlord? 0
I live in Dubai. I received an eviction notice last year from the company that owned my apartment on the pretext of sale.
The apartment was subsequently sold to an individual, and I have paid him the rent once.
Does the eviction notice have any legal standing now?
Sep 15, 2025
51
Are the weekends included in the calculation of leave days if the company is using calendar days? 0
If an employee files a leave from Monday to Friday and will return on Monday, will the weekends be included in the count since the company is using calendar days?
Thanks in advance!
Sep 10, 2025
57
How can I ensure there are no travel bans, criminal flags, or pending cases before I travel to Dubai? 0
I am a UK passport holder planning to travel to Dubai soon, and I would like to ensure there are no travel bans, criminal flags, or pending cases associated with my name or passport before I travel.
Could you kindly provide me with the following information:
1. The process for conducting a travel ban / criminal record check in Dubai or across the UAE.
2. The documents you require from me (passport copy, authorization letter, etc.).
3. The estimated timeline for receiving confirmation.
4. The cost of this service.
Sep 12, 2025
70
What should I do if someone forged my signature on a document claiming I owe him money? 0
Hello,
Someone misused my signature and made a document stating that I have to pay him money. What should I do?
Sep 23, 2025
21
Can an employee leave without notice during probation if the salary is delayed? 0
Hello,
I understand that if salary is pending for more than two months, an employee can leave the company without serving the notice period. Please correct me if I am wrong.
If an employee resigns in such a scenario (due to two months of pending salary) during probation and joins another company, can the previous employer claim reimbursement of recruitment and visa expenses from the new employer?
Sep 22, 2025
12

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How can I make an offer and deposit for a returned rental cheque? 0
My cheque has been returned. RDC informed me that I can make an offer and deposit for the returned cheque.
Does anyone know how this works?
They said it is different from the offer and deposit you do prior to renewal, where you wait 5 days.
With this type of offer and deposit, you can hand over the cheque to RDC.
Please advise.
Sep 17, 2025
39
What is the process of executing a foreign spousal and child support order in the UAE? 0
Hello,
What is the process of executing a foreign spousal and child support order from a European country in the UAE?
And what if he removes his money from the bank before the execution takes place?
Sep 17, 2025
30
I was misled during the purchase of my off-plan apartment in Dubai. Can I claim compensation? 0
I believe I was misled during the purchase of my off-plan apartment in Dubai.
The sales manager strongly emphasized that the unit had a lagoon view and Burj Khalifa from the side, which was a key factor in my decision.
This lagoon view was even shown on their internal sales system, but it was never written into the official Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA).
After the handover, I discovered the apartment has no such view. I have supporting evidence, including WhatsApp messages, voice notes, and brochures that clearly mention the lagoon view.
This misrepresentation caused me financial loss, since when I tried to resell, the value was much lower without the promised view.
My questions are: based on these facts, do I have a strong legal case for misrepresentation?
Can I realistically claim compensation or a partial refund?
What steps and documents are required to evaluate the case properly?
Also, would like to know an estimate of the cost and expected time for such proceedings.
Sep 19, 2025
35
Can I file a complaint against my company for discrimination between employees? 0
I am working in the UAE and facing issues of workplace favoritism and possible discrimination.
Despite being a consistent top performer with many years of experience, I was rejected for a promotion that was instead given to someone with less experience and weaker performance.
When I asked for feedback, I was given contradictory and false reasons, including being told that HR rejected me based on “how I sat in the interview,” even though it was an audio-only call.
I was also told that promotions are not based on performance but on whether I had the “manager’s blessings.”
In addition, I have observed:
- Promotions are repeatedly going to people from the same community or close to managers.
- Most of the management team belongs to one community.
- Shift schedules are being changed after release to favor certain individuals.
This has created a toxic environment with no fair career growth opportunities.
My question is, under UAE labor law, do I have grounds to challenge this type of favoritism?
Sep 19, 2025
46
What to do if you received judgment in absentia of fine and jail in a case after obtaining Tanazul? 0
What does “Dispositioned” mean in a UAE - Abu Dhabi case?
We have a Tanazul, but the case status is showing Judgment Done, with a 15,000 AED fine and 6 months' prison reserved. Does this mean he will go to prison?
We missed one hearing on 28/08/2025. After that, we thought we had Tanazul, so we went to collect the passport, as I am the surety for my father. However, at the police station, they stopped him, saying he had a Tameem.
Please help and advise what will happen. We have Tanazul, but the judgment is already done, and no appeal has been filed yet.
The status shows Judgment Done on 28/08/2025. We missed the hearing that day, the prison sentence of 6 months is reserved, and a 15,000 AED fine has been issued.
What should we do?
Sep 19, 2025
26

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Should I renew my labor card now or wait until my ID expires? 0
Hello,
My labor card will expire next month, but my ID is still valid. Can I wait for the ID to expire as well, or should I start renewing now?
Thank you!
Sep 17, 2025
47
What is the process of executing a foreign spousal and child support order in the UAE? 0
Hello,
What is the process of executing a foreign spousal and child support order from a European country in the UAE?
And what if he removes his money from the bank before the execution takes place?
Sep 17, 2025
30
How can I obtain the final court order requested by my insurer for my accident case? 0
Hi,
My vehicle was involved in an accident, during which another car collided with mine. The occupants of the other vehicle sustained severe injuries and were hospitalized.
The police provided me with a report to submit to my insurance company; however, the insurer has requested a final court order.
As I am not aware of the status of this court order, could you please advise me on how to obtain this information and whom I should contact regarding the matter?
Sep 17, 2025
30
What should I do if someone forged my signature on a document claiming I owe him money? 0
Hello,
Someone misused my signature and made a document stating that I have to pay him money. What should I do?
Sep 23, 2025
21
What to do if you received judgment in absentia of fine and jail in a case after obtaining Tanazul? 0
What does “Dispositioned” mean in a UAE - Abu Dhabi case?
We have a Tanazul, but the case status is showing Judgment Done, with a 15,000 AED fine and 6 months' prison reserved. Does this mean he will go to prison?
We missed one hearing on 28/08/2025. After that, we thought we had Tanazul, so we went to collect the passport, as I am the surety for my father. However, at the police station, they stopped him, saying he had a Tameem.
Please help and advise what will happen. We have Tanazul, but the judgment is already done, and no appeal has been filed yet.
The status shows Judgment Done on 28/08/2025. We missed the hearing that day, the prison sentence of 6 months is reserved, and a 15,000 AED fine has been issued.
What should we do?
Sep 19, 2025
26

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I have loan and must leave the country due to an emergency. Will I face problems at the airport? 0
I have taken a Cashnow loan recently and have to leave the country on exit due to some emergency back in my country.
Will it be an issue, or will I face problems at the airport?
I am willing to pay it from my home country if possible. The loan of AED 8000 is fresh & less than a month old.
Sep 24, 2025
5
What should I do if someone forged my signature on a document claiming I owe him money? 0
Hello,
Someone misused my signature and made a document stating that I have to pay him money. What should I do?
Sep 23, 2025
21
Can an employee leave without notice during probation if the salary is delayed? 0
Hello,
I understand that if salary is pending for more than two months, an employee can leave the company without serving the notice period. Please correct me if I am wrong.
If an employee resigns in such a scenario (due to two months of pending salary) during probation and joins another company, can the previous employer claim reimbursement of recruitment and visa expenses from the new employer?
Sep 22, 2025
12
Can I exit the UAE without canceling my company entry permit? 0
Hello,
I came to Dubai on a company's entry permit. I have not completed any medical process yet, but I am not interested in that job.
Can I leave the UAE without canceling the entry permit?
Sep 22, 2025
21
I was misled during the purchase of my off-plan apartment in Dubai. Can I claim compensation? 0
I believe I was misled during the purchase of my off-plan apartment in Dubai.
The sales manager strongly emphasized that the unit had a lagoon view and Burj Khalifa from the side, which was a key factor in my decision.
This lagoon view was even shown on their internal sales system, but it was never written into the official Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA).
After the handover, I discovered the apartment has no such view. I have supporting evidence, including WhatsApp messages, voice notes, and brochures that clearly mention the lagoon view.
This misrepresentation caused me financial loss, since when I tried to resell, the value was much lower without the promised view.
My questions are: based on these facts, do I have a strong legal case for misrepresentation?
Can I realistically claim compensation or a partial refund?
What steps and documents are required to evaluate the case properly?
Also, would like to know an estimate of the cost and expected time for such proceedings.
Sep 19, 2025
35

Premium
Other answers by
I was misled during the purchase of my off-plan apartment in Dubai. Can I claim compensation? 0
I believe I was misled during the purchase of my off-plan apartment in Dubai.
The sales manager strongly emphasized that the unit had a lagoon view and Burj Khalifa from the side, which was a key factor in my decision.
This lagoon view was even shown on their internal sales system, but it was never written into the official Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA).
After the handover, I discovered the apartment has no such view. I have supporting evidence, including WhatsApp messages, voice notes, and brochures that clearly mention the lagoon view.
This misrepresentation caused me financial loss, since when I tried to resell, the value was much lower without the promised view.
My questions are: based on these facts, do I have a strong legal case for misrepresentation?
Can I realistically claim compensation or a partial refund?
What steps and documents are required to evaluate the case properly?
Also, would like to know an estimate of the cost and expected time for such proceedings.
Sep 19, 2025
35

Premium
Other answers by
I have loan and must leave the country due to an emergency. Will I face problems at the airport? 0
I have taken a Cashnow loan recently and have to leave the country on exit due to some emergency back in my country.
Will it be an issue, or will I face problems at the airport?
I am willing to pay it from my home country if possible. The loan of AED 8000 is fresh & less than a month old.
Sep 24, 2025
5
What should I do if someone forged my signature on a document claiming I owe him money? 0
Hello,
Someone misused my signature and made a document stating that I have to pay him money. What should I do?
Sep 23, 2025
21
Can an employee leave without notice during probation if the salary is delayed? 0
Hello,
I understand that if salary is pending for more than two months, an employee can leave the company without serving the notice period. Please correct me if I am wrong.
If an employee resigns in such a scenario (due to two months of pending salary) during probation and joins another company, can the previous employer claim reimbursement of recruitment and visa expenses from the new employer?
Sep 22, 2025
12
Can I exit the UAE without canceling my company entry permit? 0
Hello,
I came to Dubai on a company's entry permit. I have not completed any medical process yet, but I am not interested in that job.
Can I leave the UAE without canceling the entry permit?
Sep 22, 2025
21
I have a fine in a criminal case judgment that I cannot pay at once. How to apply for an installment plan? 0
Hi to all the respected lawyers here.
I have a criminal case, and I fought for a long time to remove the 1st and 2nd judgments, which were deportation and jail time. In my final judgement, my penalty is AED 10,000.
Last year, during amnesty, since I couldn't pay the 10,000 AED (I am a single mother with a 2-year-old baby), I decided to surrender at the police station. Because I have a court fine, they refused to take me and sent me to the Sharjah police.
When I went there, I told the officer in charge that I couldn't pay and that I wanted to serve jail time and be released once I completed the required days. The officer did not accept me and sent me to apply for an instalment plan.
However, my instalment application was rejected; they said instalment payments are not being accepted at the moment and that the order came from the Abu Dhabi court.
Now I am really hopeless and feel I cannot live here anymore.
Sep 19, 2025
50

Premium
Other answers by
What is the process of executing a foreign spousal and child support order in the UAE? 0
Hello,
What is the process of executing a foreign spousal and child support order from a European country in the UAE?
And what if he removes his money from the bank before the execution takes place?
Sep 17, 2025
30
What should I do if someone forged my signature on a document claiming I owe him money? 0
Hello,
Someone misused my signature and made a document stating that I have to pay him money. What should I do?
Sep 23, 2025
21
Can I exit the UAE without canceling my company entry permit? 0
Hello,
I came to Dubai on a company's entry permit. I have not completed any medical process yet, but I am not interested in that job.
Can I leave the UAE without canceling the entry permit?
Sep 22, 2025
21
I was misled during the purchase of my off-plan apartment in Dubai. Can I claim compensation? 0
I believe I was misled during the purchase of my off-plan apartment in Dubai.
The sales manager strongly emphasized that the unit had a lagoon view and Burj Khalifa from the side, which was a key factor in my decision.
This lagoon view was even shown on their internal sales system, but it was never written into the official Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA).
After the handover, I discovered the apartment has no such view. I have supporting evidence, including WhatsApp messages, voice notes, and brochures that clearly mention the lagoon view.
This misrepresentation caused me financial loss, since when I tried to resell, the value was much lower without the promised view.
My questions are: based on these facts, do I have a strong legal case for misrepresentation?
Can I realistically claim compensation or a partial refund?
What steps and documents are required to evaluate the case properly?
Also, would like to know an estimate of the cost and expected time for such proceedings.
Sep 19, 2025
35
What are the UAE property purchase laws for Golden Visa holders? 0
Hello,
I am in Pakistan, and I want to know the UAE law regarding property purchase on a Golden Visa.
Sep 18, 2025
13

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Other answers by
What should I do if someone forged my signature on a document claiming I owe him money? 0
Hello,
Someone misused my signature and made a document stating that I have to pay him money. What should I do?
Sep 23, 2025
21
I I left the UAE with some debts and I paid later while in the UK. How to check my status before visiting Dubai? 0
I had some debts when I left the UAE, which I paid later while in the UK. This was in 2017 when I left the UAE.
I want to check if there's a travel ban or any blacklist kind of status for me, as I want to travel to Dubai soon.
I have lost the Emirates ID card, and I have a new passport number as I had to renew the passport.
All I have is a scanned copy of my old passport and the visa page.
What's the procedure and cost for finding this?
Sep 18, 2025
47
Can we claim compensation from the subcontractor due to a delay which affected us if it not in contract? 0
We outsourced a project to a subcontractor, but the project was delayed beyond the completion date, which affected us.
Is it possible to claim compensation if there were no clauses in the contract to claim for delays?
Aug 15, 2025
49
An employee is resigning during probation. Can I reimburse the money I spent on his visa and employment expenses? 0
I am running a company in Dubai, and one of my employees, who is an expat, is on his 6-month probation period and wants to resign now.
Kindly let me know whether I can reimburse the money I spent on his visa and other formal onboarding to my company.
Please let me know whether I can reimburse the amounts as per the applicable labour laws.
Aug 16, 2025
66
I have received a final judgment in my favor and the employer is offering to settle. What to do? 0
Dear Team,
I have received a final judgment in my favor for 5 months' salary, and I’ve already initiated execution through Al Adheed Center.
Now, my employer is requesting to settle the matter outside the court and promises to pay the full amount within 45 days. However, due to past false promises and non-payment, I am hesitant to trust him.
Could you please advise:
1. Is it safer to continue with the execution process?
2. If I choose to accept the settlement, how can I legally document the payment schedule to ensure enforcement if he defaults?
3. Can this settlement agreement be filed or endorsed through Al Adheed or the court to keep legal pressure?
Looking forward to your guidance.
Aug 12, 2025
106
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