Q: Hi, I lent money to a colleague. Now, it's been 5 years and he is still finding excuses not to pay me. Since then I left the UAE, and the only proof I have is Whatsapp messages. What can I do?

Q: Hi. I would like to inquire how much do you charge for a consultation because I need some legal assistance regarding loaned money. Someone owes me a big amount of money, AED 51,000 to be exact. I lent them an amount of AED 60,000 which they would pay on a monthly basis for 24 months. However, after 3 months of paying, they haven’t paid until now. I would like to get a quote on how much would it cost to have a legal assistance in such case like this. Thank you.

Q: My debtor took cash and purchased his personal flight tickets by my credit cards and went back to Ireland. The total amount is 5000€, and I only have the Whatsapp message to prove that he agreed that he owes me 5000€. He failed to return me money for 7 months. He agreed to return me money on 26th of June, but he failed again. Afterwards, he is not responding to any text or calls regarding paying the debt. He even threatens me to report me to the police because I try to contact him and his family regarding this issue. Should I send him a letter as before legal action? However, I don’t know his address in Ireland. I only found his company’s contact and address. Should I contact his company regarding his debt issue?

Q: Dear Advisors, One of my friends borrowed AED 12,000 from me in May 2018. He said he will return the money in one month, but he didn’t. I asked many times. 7 months later, he returned AED 5,000. But he is not returning my balance amount of AED 7,000 now after nearly 17 months. I am in Dubai. He is in Abu Dhabi. He runs a structural steel company. Every time he keeps changing the date. I have WhatsApp chatting. How can I get my money back? Please help me.

Q: Hello Sir, I have given cash to a person but he is not returning it yet, but only telling I will give you and changing time again and again. I have only chat proof. What legal action can I take against him?

Q: Hi, Could you please advise! Can commitments or agreements via electronic communications (emails) be considered as a binding agreement as per the UAE law? If yes, kindly provide the law clauses.

Q: We are residents of Bahrain. My father gave a personal loan (through bank transfers) to his friend because his apartment was under a mortgage and he could not pay. Now, his friend is a resident of Dubai and the property is also in Dubai (Silicon Oasis). He is refusing to give the money back and says: "buy my apartment". The market price of the apartment is 450000 AED. The loan we gave him was for approximately 500000 AED. However, he is demanding 750000 AED for the apartment which is way above the market price. We only want our money, we are not interested in the apartment. However, he is in Canada right now and it is only his Dubai property against which we can take action and create a charge. We need your legal services for the same. Please advise regarding the course of action. Also please feel free to contact me on my email for representation. We are ready to pay reasonable charges for your services.

Q: I have notified my tenant of the rent increase 90 days in advance of the expiry date of the tenancy contract via a WhatsApp message. I understand that WhatsApp is an eligible medium for the said notice, as per the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 2002 No. 25 of 2002. Please confirm whether my understanding is correct or not!

Q: My cousin who lives in Dubai took around AED 280000 from me on December 2023 for business and he told me that within one month he would return the money back with profits. Now it's been almost a year he has not returned my money back. I have no written contract. The only proof I have is WhatsApp chats, videos, and voice messages of him that he received money from me and that he would return it back within one month. In August 2023 I told him that if you don't return my money, then I would hire a lawyer and do a case. Then his father returned almost 20% of the amount back in August 2023 and told me the remaining amount I would receive from them by the end of November or December 2023. But now they are not giving me the money and telling me to go to the police or hire a lawyer, file a case do whatever I want to do. Kindly please advise me if hiring a lawyer in Dubai will be helpful or not. Will I be able to recover my money in Dubai in a legal way in such a case?

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

The provisions of this law, promulgating UAE Civil Code, govern the civil transactions in the United Arab Emirates. The commercial transactions remain subject to the laws and regulations applicable in their regard.

The law promulgates UAE Civil Procedures Code (Civil Procedure Law) which governs civil procedures in the United Arab Emirates, including the prosecution before the courts, litigation and execution.