How to respond to a non-compete legal notice from a former employer?

Contact a UAE labor specialist to assess the validity of the company's previous claims. Non-competition and confidentiality clauses are subject to strict legal controls in the UAE. These include time limits, locations, and specific types of work to protect legitimate labor interests and not unreasonably restrict the worker's freedom.

Contact me at this number: [--------------].

Dear Inquirer,

Non-compete and confidentiality disputes in the UAE depend on strict legal conditions, including the validity of the clause, duration, scope, and whether the employer has fulfilled their obligations.

From what you described, there may be grounds to challenge your ex-employer’s claims.

To properly assess your case and respond to the legal notice, we recommend booking a consultation or formally appointing our office to represent you. This will allow us to review the documents, advise on your best legal position, and protect your rights.

You can book a consultation directly through our website.

Best regards,

Dear Questioner,

Thank you for sharing the legal notice you received from your former employer. Please note the following under the UAE Labour Law:

Non-Compete Clauses

Such clauses are only enforceable if they are limited in time, geographic scope, and nature of work, and if the employer can prove actual harm to their legitimate business interests. A blanket restriction of 12 months is unlikely to be upheld if it is too broad or unreasonable.

Confidentiality & Non-Solicitation

While confidentiality obligations may continue even after employment, your former employer would need to prove that you misused or disclosed confidential information or solicited clients or staff, which appears unsupported, given your full handover and compliance.

Employer’s Own Breach

The fact that they failed to issue your visa for 12 months, withheld overtime and holiday pay, and maintained a toxic work environment significantly weakens their position and may entitle you to claims against them.

Nature of the Notice

The notice you received is not a court order. To enforce anything, the company would need to escalate through MOHRE or the civil courts, where you can raise counterclaims for unpaid entitlements.

Next Steps:

Do not resign from your current employment unless a formal judgment requires it.

Keep all documentation of your resignation, handover, and HR complaints.

We can prepare a formal reply denying the allegations and reserving your rights if needed.

In summary, the notice appears more as a pressure tactic than a binding legal obligation. You remain entitled to continue your current employment, and if the matter escalates, we will be in a strong position to defend and counterclaim.

Best regards,

Mohammed Salah

Legal Consultant

Thank you for contacting us via Legal Advice Middle East!

Your matter concerns a legal notice from your former employer alleging breach of non-compete and confidentiality undertakings. We have handled very similar cases where companies attempted to intimidate ex-employees with broad non-compete claims, even where the employer itself failed to meet its own obligations.

A few key points. Under UAE law, non-compete clauses must be reasonable in duration, scope, and geography, and enforceable only if the employer proves real damage. A blanket demand that you stop working for any competitor for 12 months is rarely upheld unless it is narrowly defined and justified.

In practice, courts are reluctant to enforce non-compete clauses if the employer has not provided proper employment protections, such as issuing a visa or paying entitlements. The fact that you were not given a UAE employment visa, had your contract delayed for 12 months, and were denied overtime and holiday pay significantly weakens their position.

Confidentiality obligations, on the other hand, remain enforceable, but only if there is evidence that you actually misused company data. Since you completed a proper handover and have no company data, their claim would be very difficult to prove.

What you are experiencing is a common tactic: sending a legal notice to pressure you into leaving your new job. Unless they file a formal labour or civil case, the notice has no binding effect.

If they do escalate, you can defend on the grounds of unlawful employment practices, delayed visa, unpaid entitlements, and lack of evidence of breach. In some cases, employees have even filed counterclaims for unpaid dues and damages for mental distress or toxic workplace conditions.

The most strategic step is to formally respond through a lawyer, denying the allegations and reserving your right to claim against them for unpaid entitlements. This shifts the pressure back on the former employer. If they proceed to court, you will be in a stronger defensive position.

Our office has successfully defended employees in non-compete disputes and neutralised employer threats. For precise guidance, we would need to review your contract, resignation, and the legal notice itself. Please contact us directly via WhatsApp at [------------] so we can prepare the appropriate response.

Dear questioner,

Critically, the non-compete clause shall not apply if the termination of the employment contract is due to reasons attributed to the employer's breach of their legal or contractual obligations (Article 12(3) of the Executive Regulations).

You can simply deny these allegations or ignore them. If they initiate a case, then they need to prove their side with supporting evidence.

If you need more details, kindly share your WhatsApp number.