Q: I write to you from the UK. There are two corporate companies owned by the same owner and operating in the same territory; one of them is a property company, the second is a financial services company. The first one has defaulted on a transaction with me for £700,000. This amount has remained outstanding for the last 10 years and is a proven debt. The second company is making a claim against me for £53,000 and starts bankruptcy action against me. Does Sharia / Dubai law permit me to make a counterclaim against the second company because of the outstanding debt (£700,000) that the first one owes me? The transactions between both were separate transactions. Does Sharia Law permit a “set-off"? In law, set-off is a legal technique applied between persons with mutual rights and liabilities. It permits the rights to be used to discharge the liabilities where cross-claims exist between two parties.

Q: Hello. I am working in a company in Abu Dhabi for more than one year now, and my pending salaries have not been paid for more than four months. Every time I ask them about the salary, they just tell me to wait. I even have WPS, but no money comes in there too. I have told the owner of my company many times. They just delay from week to week. Kindly help me and tell me what should I do next. I am in a lot of trouble already. Thank you.

Q: Dear Sir, Good day. I would like to ask regarding my delayed salary. It is running for 3 months this May 2021. My employer and her family are saying that they are waiting for money from their client who is in the contracting business.

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.

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

بتاريخ 24/10/2023، صدر قرار الهيئة العامة لمحكمة تمييز دبي في الطعن 4 لسنة 2023 مرسياً مبدأً جديداً مفاده أن الأصل في الناس هو الإعسار وأن اليسار عارض، وأنه يتعين -تبعاً لذلك- على طالب التنفيذ أن يثبت يسار خصمه المنفذ ضده أو تهريبه لأمواله كي يستصدر أمراً بضبطه وإحضاره ثم حبسه لإكراهه بدنياً على السداد. وكما هو متوقع، أحدث هذا القرار ردود فعل كثيرة ومتنوعة، سيما وأنه قرار نوعي يقلب كثيراً من الأوضاع المعتادة رأساً على عقب ويغير من الحالة الاجتماعية السائدة الشيء الكثير.

The provisions of this Law, known as "UAE Labour Law", govern the relationship between employers and employees and other labour matters in the United Arab Emirates. There are special labour related regulations applicable in some of the free zones in the UAE.

This Decree sets the rules and conditions for the termination of fixed-term (limited) or unlimited (not term-bound) employment contract between employer and worker in the United Arab Emirates.

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).