Q: Hi. Kindly advise regarding: (1) Closing a professional civil company (management consultancy) in Dubai with 4 partners + 1 local agent. There are 4 partners (all family members) who are out of the UAE. 2 partners have investor visas & 2 have partner visas. 3 visas have expired during July-Sept 18 and 1 Investor visa expiring 17/11 as being out of the country for 6 months+. Online at www.gdrfa.ae on logging in, the 3 expired visas are showing 'Inactive'. Does it mean visas are automatically cancelled & they can come on visit OR visas have to be physically cancelled at the immigration dept? The company has no assets/liability. We want to close the company. The company's labour est card is already cancelled. (2) Effect of a partner's personal credit cards' liability on the company as a he is a partner. In the above company, 2 partners have credit card dues. Is there an impact on 2 aged partners coming back to the UAE if the banks file cases & secure order on attaching the defaulting partners share in above company? (There is no business/assets). Can the 2 partners be harassed in UAE?

Q: My civil company has 2 partners. Both are 50% of the shares. Our company lost a court case and has to pay AED 200,000 to the creditor. The creditor started an execution case. Questions: A) Can I pay my 50% share (AED 100.000) and ask for my name to be cleared from the case (then the execution case will only be between the creditor and the other partner, for the remainder of AED 100.000)? Or that is not allowed while the civil company is still in existence? B) Is it possible to liquidate the company and then the execution lawsuit will be broken into two parts (Part 1: Creditor and partner 1 for AED 100,000, Part 2: Creditor and partner 2 for AED 100,000). If yes to the above questions, please be kind to inform the process. Thank you!

Q: Hi Sir, I am a partner and I have a partner visa in one of the courier companies in Dubai. Currently, I stay outside Dubai in a GCC country, I hold a 25% share in the company. We are 4 partners; 2 inside Dubai and 2 outside. The company was established in 2019; it has been 1 year now and the partners in Dubai are showing a big loss. They took a loan from some investors without our concern and they have a big credit from the customers. They utilized the customers' money. Now, I need to get out of this mess as I was not involved and they were not sharing any updated records. Both Dubai partners are MD in the Memo. I am afraid to come to Dubai as they have asked me to leave my share after paying the loss they have to some other investors. I am afraid to come to Dubai to discuss as the company sponsor is in touch with them. They can put me in trouble in order to get my share. Please advise!

Over the years the UAE has become a centre of trade and commerce for the Middle East, thanks to its strategic location, excellent connectivity and extensive services to assist with all aspects of business. According to the World Bank's 2016 report, the UAE has ranked 31st in the global index of ease of doing business. This encourages more entrepreneurs to set up different kinds of business entities in the country.

In the UAE, cheque bounce is a very frequent problem faced by people during their span in the country. It is covered under the purview of Commercial Transactions Law, and legal implications/penalties can be financially severe and daunting for more “serious” offenses. Bounced cheque issues may arise in a variety of commercial transactions, including but not limited to, companies’ exchanges, bank loans, property rents or purchases, and individual transactions.

This Law applies to merchants, as well as to all acts of commerce carried out in the UAE by any person even though he be not a trader. Commercial matters regarding which specific Federal laws are issued shall be subject to the provisions of such laws, and to the provisions hereof which do not contradict with said laws.

The provisions of this Decree by Law amend the Federal Law No. (18) of 1993 by replacing Clause (4) of Article (379) as well as Articles (600), (617), (641), (642), (643), (644), and adding new articles numbered (635) Bis, (641) Bis (1), (641) Bis (2), (641) Bis (3), (641) Bis (4), (643) Bis (1), (643) Bis (2), (644) Bis (1) and (644) Bis (2). The Decree-Law also repeals Articles (401), (402) and (403) of the Federal Law No. (3) of 1987.