Salaam alaikum, I made a complaint at the police station in Barsha about my stolen money 2 months ago. I left the country for a short while soon after that, but since I don't know the process, I got missed calls from Dubai prosecution and a message from them to visit them on June 15th. I didn't go since I was outside the UAE, and when I called them back, no one answered the call. Anyhow, 3 days ago, the Dubai Public Prosecution portal shows the person was sentenced for theft, and I also got a message that a judgment has been passed. I just want to know if I'll be penalised for not attending prosecution, or stopped at immigration when I'm returning. Jazakallah Khair!

Hello, I have been terminated by my employer suddenly with the reason of unsatisfactory performance; however, I did not receive any feedback in this area. In fact, I received an increment last month with no prior warning letters. I am really shocked by this decision, and during the meeting, I was pressured by the line manager and HR Director, due to which I got overwhelmed and signed the termination. They gave me a 3-month notice period under Article 43. Also, in my EOS calculation, they only included the gratuity but did not add the annual leave pay or the 3-month notice period salary. It’s my third year in the organization, and I am on company sponsorship under a limited contract. I want to know my rights as an employee and what action I should take in this regard.

Hello, I applied for a police clearance certificate in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday this week. Up to now, I haven't received it yet; the status is still under review by the concerned party. Please guide!

Hello, The Second Party shall be obliged to pay back the value of the training (which is estimated at AED 10,000) if they terminate the employment contract of their own free will within one year from the date of commencement, without prejudice to the First Party's legal or contractual obligations. (The amount agreed upon for the value of the training period must be commensurate with the employee’s period of employment.) I have that clause in my labour contract regarding the training fees, but despite completing 359 days of service with the company, I have not received any such certification from them. Now, the company is refusing to cancel my employment and is demanding that I pay AED 10,000. In response, I filed a complaint with the Labour Department requesting the cancellation of my labour card. However, the process is being delayed, and meanwhile, the company has filed a counter-complaint against me, demanding the full AED 10,000. What can I do?

Hello, Is it okay to give birth in the UAE if the mother is single and the father is married? Will there be any problem with that, as long as the parents declare that they are the biological parents to obtain the child's birth certificate?

Hello, Someone misused my signature and made a document stating that I have to pay him money. What should I do?

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?

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?

Hello, I have been working at a company in DMCC for nearly 5 years. I work in sales with varying annual results, ranging from overachieving to underachieving in a difficult market. This year, my manager gave me a very high target and lower targets to my colleagues. Our sales are mostly achieved in the last 3 months of the year when companies finally spend their annual budget. Now, my manager has suddenly decided to terminate me without any warning because of performance issues. They are offering to pay the minimum end-of-service gratuity plus 3 months’ basic salary and unpaid leave days. Am I entitled to 3 months’ full pay, including benefits, in addition to the End of Service gratuity and unpaid leave days?

Hello, I was medically banned from the UAE last year due to a TB scar, but the disease was not active. Now I want to confirm: Can I go to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, or can I not travel to any GCC country? Did the UAE share that medical data with all other GCC countries? Will they stop me at immigration or through an iris scan, etc.?

I am a shareholder in a UAE company, and I want to review and have copies of the company documents. Other shareholders are not ready to share it. Kindly let me know whether I have any rights under the UAE Companies Law to review and have copies of the company documents as a shareholder? If yes, please let me know the statutory provisions, also let me know the means of getting it from them...

Hello, I want to evict a tenant from my property as he is not following the terms of the Tenancy Contract and making changes to the property without any Landlord approval. What are the best legal ways to do this legally? Please note, I plan to rent out again and want to evict him. Please give me your reply with your charges for the legal notice, the entire procedure, and your fees in case we need to file a court case for eviction.

Hello, I have been trying to get my refund from an immigration visa service company for months now. The company promised a refund for a Europe work permit application that they never completed. Despite multiple follow-ups, I have not yet received my money back. I have all the receipts, emails, and WhatsApp messages as proof. The amount is less than AED 5,000; however, it is a big deal to me. Please advise!

Hello, I am a European citizen married to a UAE national. We started the process of divorce last week. We have been married for 7 years and have a daughter. We will put in the agreement that I wish to relocate with her to my home country, where I own a home and also share the home with my parents. We have spent significant time there during these years, and my parents are here too, so my daughter is very attached to them. In the UAE, it's husband, me and her; sometimes we meet with my mother-in-law, but other than that, there is no family environment. We agree on all the aspects of co-parenting (visits, alimony, video calls, schooling). He will also give notarized approval to submit with a draft, and I have attested the title of deed proving I own a place to be over in my home country. As much as separation is difficult, we are both aware that post-divorce life in two homes, with my daughter having no family at all around, will be even worse. Will the court approve the relocation?

I work for a large organisation with a head office and branches. My contract has a broad IP appendix that assigns all “Materials” created “in the course of Employment” (including software) to the company, along with a conflict of interest agreement regarding outside activities. In my spare time, on my own laptop and outside working hours, I am building a hobby analytics/automation tool intended to help my branch make better decisions and streamline workflows. There is no separate company, no external clients and no revenue. Branch management has verbally encouraged it, but nothing is in writing from the head office. Under UAE law and this contract wording: Can I get into trouble just for doing this project in my spare time? Is it likely to be treated as “Materials” owned by the company that I must hand over? What concrete steps/approvals do you recommend now to manage IP and conflict of interest risk?

I am a shareholder in a UAE company, and I want to review and have copies of the company documents. Other shareholders are not ready to share it. Kindly let me know whether I have any rights under the UAE Companies Law to review and have copies of the company documents as a shareholder? If yes, please let me know the statutory provisions, also let me know the means of getting it from them...

My Dubai Landlord is asking for a security deposit at the time of moving out. If not paid, I will not get the NOC from them. This wasn't discussed or mentioned in my tenancy contract. Is this legal? What can be done about this?

Hello, I want to evict a tenant from my property as he is not following the terms of the Tenancy Contract and making changes to the property without any Landlord approval. What are the best legal ways to do this legally? Please note, I plan to rent out again and want to evict him. Please give me your reply with your charges for the legal notice, the entire procedure, and your fees in case we need to file a court case for eviction.

I am seeking procedural advice for a criminal appeal hearing in Dubai. I am the victim in a "theft by coercion" case. The defendants were acquitted, and I filed the appeal myself. My appeal memo lists some points. My hearing is November 25th. I am not familiar with the procedure. My questions are: Will the judges/defence question me, or will I be allowed to present my arguments from my memo? Most importantly: I found new, strong contradictions in the case file that are not in my written appeal memo. Can I verbally introduce these new arguments at the hearing, or is the hearing strictly limited only to the points in my written application? Any guidance on what to expect and if I can present new points is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hello, I am a European citizen married to a UAE national. We started the process of divorce last week. We have been married for 7 years and have a daughter. We will put in the agreement that I wish to relocate with her to my home country, where I own a home and also share the home with my parents. We have spent significant time there during these years, and my parents are here too, so my daughter is very attached to them. In the UAE, it's husband, me and her; sometimes we meet with my mother-in-law, but other than that, there is no family environment. We agree on all the aspects of co-parenting (visits, alimony, video calls, schooling). He will also give notarized approval to submit with a draft, and I have attested the title of deed proving I own a place to be over in my home country. As much as separation is difficult, we are both aware that post-divorce life in two homes, with my daughter having no family at all around, will be even worse. Will the court approve the relocation?

I work for a large organisation with a head office and branches. My contract has a broad IP appendix that assigns all “Materials” created “in the course of Employment” (including software) to the company, along with a conflict of interest agreement regarding outside activities. In my spare time, on my own laptop and outside working hours, I am building a hobby analytics/automation tool intended to help my branch make better decisions and streamline workflows. There is no separate company, no external clients and no revenue. Branch management has verbally encouraged it, but nothing is in writing from the head office. Under UAE law and this contract wording: Can I get into trouble just for doing this project in my spare time? Is it likely to be treated as “Materials” owned by the company that I must hand over? What concrete steps/approvals do you recommend now to manage IP and conflict of interest risk?