Hello, I have multiple cheque execution cases filed against me due to financial strains last year. My trade license and visa will expire next month, along with my Emirates ID. Is it possible for me to renew my license and visa along with EID prior to settling the execution cases? The trade license and visa were issued by the free zone authority. I look forward to your response. Thanks.

Hello, I already have a dispute order with MOHRE. Then my employer became willing to settle the case. What should I do in case they do not follow through with the promised amount to pay?

Hello, My rent cheque was bounced, and my landlord filed a case against me in Sharjah Court. I received a fine of 2,000 AED, which was later reduced to 1,000 AED upon appeal. Does this case count as a criminal conviction under UAE law, or was it handled as a civil matter? If I apply for a U.S. visa, will I need to submit court records under the requirement for applicants with past convictions?

Hello, Can I stay home if my boss doesn’t pay my salary on time?

Hello, I am planning to change to another company and I am waiting for the offer. The visa from the current company is going to end in 2 months. Should I inform them about my leaving? I haven’t received any offer yet, so I didn’t inform them, and they’re asking about the renewal every day. Is it mandatory to inform them 2 months in advance?

Hi I'm a nanny, and at the same time, I work as a housemaid (khadama) here in the house. I work, but as I know, the nannies and housemaids have different rights, and my employer doesn't give me rest. My work starts at 7:30 am and then finishes at 10 pm or less. It depends on whether the baby is asleep or what time they will take on me if not yet asleep. Is this right? Also, at the time of eating, I'm still working because the baby is with me, so I just let her sit in her chair. That's how I eat. Please answer me. I want to know my rights. Because if I can leave during the 6-month probation, I want to take it if the employer is this kind. I don't know. They are also expats, but they don't follow the rules of the UAE regarding a housemaid.

I recently joined a new organization in the Hamriyah Free Zone, and my previous organization has not released my end-of-service benefits. The HR has instructed the finance team not to do so because I had contacted one of their clients. In my DMCC contract, there is no Non-Compete clause, but the offer letter has one, and now they are not releasing the end-of-service. Is this legal? What are my rights?

Hello, I have multiple cheque execution cases filed against me due to financial strains last year. My trade license and visa will expire next month, along with my Emirates ID. Is it possible for me to renew my license and visa along with EID prior to settling the execution cases? The trade license and visa were issued by the free zone authority. I look forward to your response. Thanks.

Dear Legal Advice Middle East, I hope you are well. I am seeking legal advice regarding an unpaid salary issue with my former employer, [-----]2 LLC. I was employed with them from December 4, 2024, to January 7, 2025, on a monthly salary of 5,000 AED. However, I only received a partial payment of 2,473 AED on February 24, 2025. The remaining 2,527 AED is still unpaid. I submitted a complaint to MOHRE on March 2, 2025, but I am unable to proceed further through their official channels. This is because I was working under the visa of my previous employer, [---] LLC, and not under [----]’s sponsorship. As a result, I do not meet the criteria to file a labor complaint via the MOHRE app or hotline. Given this situation, I would appreciate your guidance on how I can legally pursue the recovery of my remaining salary, considering the complications related to my visa status during the employment.

Hello, I already have a dispute order with MOHRE. Then my employer became willing to settle the case. What should I do in case they do not follow through with the promised amount to pay?

Hi, I am a non-Muslim indian expatriate, residing in Dubai since 2015. The first 5 years, I was on a working visa, and after the delivery of my first baby, I left my job and became dependent on my husband. In 2018, we bought a house together where I invested AED 2 hundred thousand from my income (I have proof in the form of a cheque). I also paid AED 3300 monthly installment for 1 year, for a personal loan taken out for the house. But in spite of my resistance, my husband tactfully put the house in his name, so the title deed was in his name. In 2024, when my kids and I were in India for vacation, he cancelled our visas and residency. He also filed for a divorce in India. The divorce is not yet finalised, and we are still married. Since August 2024, he hasn't let me access my house in Dubai, so I filed a case, which eventually went in my favor in January 2025. Since I used to travel on a visit visa, I left for India and returned in March, to find out that my husband had already sold the house. The new owner is residing there. What can I do now? Help!

Hi I'm a nanny, and at the same time, I work as a housemaid (khadama) here in the house. I work, but as I know, the nannies and housemaids have different rights, and my employer doesn't give me rest. My work starts at 7:30 am and then finishes at 10 pm or less. It depends on whether the baby is asleep or what time they will take on me if not yet asleep. Is this right? Also, at the time of eating, I'm still working because the baby is with me, so I just let her sit in her chair. That's how I eat. Please answer me. I want to know my rights. Because if I can leave during the 6-month probation, I want to take it if the employer is this kind. I don't know. They are also expats, but they don't follow the rules of the UAE regarding a housemaid.

I recently joined a new organization in the Hamriyah Free Zone, and my previous organization has not released my end-of-service benefits. The HR has instructed the finance team not to do so because I had contacted one of their clients. In my DMCC contract, there is no Non-Compete clause, but the offer letter has one, and now they are not releasing the end-of-service. Is this legal? What are my rights?

Hello, I have multiple cheque execution cases filed against me due to financial strains last year. My trade license and visa will expire next month, along with my Emirates ID. Is it possible for me to renew my license and visa along with EID prior to settling the execution cases? The trade license and visa were issued by the free zone authority. I look forward to your response. Thanks.

Hello, I already have a dispute order with MOHRE. Then my employer became willing to settle the case. What should I do in case they do not follow through with the promised amount to pay?

I am writing to seek your legal expertise and advice on a pressing issue concerning a property sale transaction that my brokerage company has facilitated. Here are the details: Our brokerage company represented the seller in a property sale where the property was sold with an existing rental agreement in place. As per the terms of the agreement, the rental balance was supposed to be given to the buyer, who is now the new owner of the property. In this transaction, our company is entitled to a 40% commission, and the buyer's brokerage company is entitled to 60%. However, the buyer's brokerage company, which has complete control over the buyer's funds, has transferred the entire 100% commission to their own account. They are currently withholding this commission, stating that they will release it once the rental balance is paid to the buyer. Unfortunately, we have lost contact with the buyer, as he has blocked the seller's agent, making it impossible for us to fulfill this condition.

I want to be a lawyer and study law in the UK. I am a UAE national but I am worried about studying outside the UAE and not being able to actually become a lawyer in the UAE. Do I really need to study in the UAE to become a lawyer here?

Dear Sir I applied for Canada AIPP programs from one of the consultancy agencies in Dubai in 2021, and they told me it would take 1 year for the process. Now it’s more than 2 years. They told me they were applying for me these years but I didn’t get any response from any company, and when I asked them to tell me where they applied, they told me it's confidential. Now I told them to stop my process and they will refund my money but it will be very much less as per them. Please let me know how I can get my money as I paid almost AED 9000 or how I can proceed legally.

Hi I have been working in a company under a local sponsor with 2 partners for the last 6 years and my visa will expire next month. However, my company has informed me that they shall transfer my visa to their other company with the same OWNER with a new partner (without a local sponsor). In this situation, what do I need to do? Will my previous gratuity be added to my new visa or do I need to take my end-of-service benefits and work as a new employee? Kindly suggest.

Hi, We bought an apartment in July. The apartment is rented until the end of November with the previous landlord who gave them an eviction notice last year to sell the house. Now they want to renew the contract but we don’t want to renew because we want to move into our apartment to live there. Can we move into our apartment and the tenant has to go out? Can the tenant refuse to move out?

السلام عليكم، أعمل في شركة في العين مند ثلاث سنوات ونصف "منها سنة وعشرة أشهر إقامة تابعة للشركة" وما تبقى كنت أعمل بالإعارة من شركة أخرى. راتبي في عقد العمل 500 درهم ولكن راتبي الفعلي 2500 درهم. هل يحق لي المطالبة قانونًا على حسب الراتب الفعلي؟ وهل فترة العمل بالإعارة تدخل ضمن أيام المستحقات؟ علمًا بأنني أستلم راتبي بشكل مباشر بإيصال قبض من الشركة، وراتب العقد (500) أستلمه بنكيًا أو عبر فروع الأنصاري.

Hi everyone, I rent an apartment. After two days in the apartment, water started leaking from the ceiling. It turned out to be a fault in the building's construction, which caused condensation in the false ceilings. When the panels were demolished, it was found that they were all full of mold. The building manager has started work, but the apartment is no longer habitable. Should the landlord compensate me for the lack of peaceful enjoyment of the property?

My company is asking us to do 9 hrs. duty this Ramadan starting last 8th of April 2023 without overtime pay. And no one from my colleagues wants to complain as they are scared of what might happen. Just today, my showroom manager is asking me to extend until 12 pm when I started my duty from 10 am and I am fasting. What can I do?

Dear Sir/Madam, Can I give birth legally in Dubai if I am unmarried to the father?

Dear Sir/Madam, My employer (Federal) signed a 3-year contract with me. They have now given me 3 months' notice, ending my contract in May rather than August, saying that my contract was not renewed. There was no reason given for my non-renewal. My evaluations have been consistently excellent. Further, they are now demanding 3 months of housing allowance be repaid. Is this legal?