Questions & Answers - Legal Advice Middle East

Can a Muslim convert marry in the UAE while separated from a non-Muslim ex-husband?

Q: Hello, I have been separated for 7 years from my late ex-husband in the Philippines. I am a converted Muslim since 2016, and my ex-husband was not Muslim. Can I marry my Egyptian fiancé here in the UAE?

I have a civil case and a travel ban in Dubai. Can I come back to the UAE if I apply for a UAE visit visa?

Q: I have a civil case in Dubai and a travel ban imposed to leave the country, no arrest warrant. I have a few questions: Can I come back to the UAE if I apply for a UAE visit visa? Will I be able to get a visa or not, as I do not have an entry ban? The decision by the honourable judge has been made that 1/4 of my salary will be deducted. Can I go to other GCC countries, such as Qatar or Saudi Arabia, for job purposes, or will I have issues there? Regards

Can a person with a UAE criminal case travel to another GCC country on a work visa?

Q: Hello, If a person has a criminal case in the UAE, can he or she travel to any other GCC country on a work visa?

Can the employer ask me for visa expenses if I resign after completing the probation period?

Q: I am working in a Dubai private company and I have completed six months of the probation period. Now, I have decided to resign due to a physical problem. My MOHRE contract mentions one month`s notice, and I am willing to serve the notice period, but the employer asks for visa expenses. My passport was also retained by the employer. How can I cancel my visa by chance? I filed a complaint at the labour court. How many days does it take to get a verdict?

How can I reverse the Bitcoin scam transation if I just lost everything in a flash loan attack?

Q: DeFi was going to be the future of finance, open, trustless, unstoppable. I was completely on board, planting yields like some kind of digital Johnny Appleseed. My collateral secured with Bitcoin was humming along on my favorite lending platform, earning me passive income while I slept. In came the flash loan attack. One moment, I had six figures securely staked; the next, my positions were liquidated at the speed of regret. My loans, my collateral, my well-thought-out portfolio, poof. Panic came faster than an Ethereum gas spike. I scanned Twitter, hoping it was FUD. Not a chance. Smart contract compromised. Funds stolen. The protocol team acted swiftly to do something, but damage was already done.

Missing business partner since 2003. What to do about his share in the LLC?

Q: Hello, I am a manager of an LLC company with 25% share. In February 2003, a partner joined the company with a 25% share. After two months, he didn’t like the company and left. After two years, we did not know where he was. We just heard that he left to Tunisia before his visa expired. What to do with his 25% share, please?

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Can a Pakistani expat register a second marriage in the UAE without disclosing the first?

Q: Hello, I want to know the UAE rules regarding second marriage for expats. I am a Pakistani national and already have a wife back in my home country. Now, I want to do a second marriage in the UAE with a Moroccan girl. Can you please let me know the procedure involved? Can I get my marriage registered in the UAE? Is it mandatory to disclose the first marriage? I am on an employment visa in Dubai.

If a bank has filed an execution cheques case through the Dubai Courts. Is a travel ban automatically applied?

Q: A bank has filed an execution cheques case through the Dubai Courts due to nonpayment of a personal loan and credit card. Is a travel ban automatically applied? I looked on the Dubai Courts website, and it says the judge has issued a “reserved” order for my case. Furthermore, when the bank emails, they threaten me with a travel ban. So I am assuming there is no travel ban issued (but I don’t know). I haven’t received any notice of a travel ban. If there is a travel ban, how do I find out? I have checked the Dubai police app, and there are no financial crimes against me. Please advise if you know.

Can I request reopening a civil case if the judgment was in my absence due to sending notices to the wrong address?

Q: Lawyers misunderstood my question. Please read carefully and then guide me. Case Type: Civil Case Claim amount: 400,000 Paid: 65,000 Reason: Commercial agreement of supply Emirate: Ajman This case was registered in 2022. The judgment was in my absence, as notices were sent to the wrong address. I was sent to jail. I made a down payment, bailed, and paid some more amount as installments. The total paid amount is AED 65000. Now, again, an arrest warrant is issued as I did not pay the remaining 335,000 of the claim. According to me, I had to pay only this amount because the executioner made a wrong claim, not as per the genuine claim. So I want to reopen the case file. I want the court to reinvestigate and start the case from scratch. 1) How can I make that request? 2) What documents are required? 3) Chances of reopening of case? 4) Cancellation of arrest warrant Please guide me in detail, as I will do everything myself, as I cannot afford a lawyer right now.

How can I cancel my current visa immediately without serving notice?

Q: Hello, I got an offer letter from another company. I want the immediate cancellation paper before 20th April. I don`t have time to submit my notice period registration. What should I do? Please give me the best advice!

I booked a hotel stay for Eid through a travel agency and it was canceled two days before Eid. What to do?

Q: I booked a hotel stay for Eid through a travel agency two weeks before Eid. The travel agency confirmed the booking on payment. One day before Eid, the agency reached out, saying they had an issue with the supplier/hotel and the booking would be cancelled. They offered alternative hotels that didn’t match the original property. I suggested some properties, and they couldn’t arrange them, or they asked for further payment, so I didn’t book anything through them. What are my rights to a refund and compensation, as I had to book other arrangements separately at a significantly higher cost due to the last-minute prices? It also caused significant emotional distress, less than 24 hours before the holiday. To which authority can a complaint be made in case of an unsatisfactory outcome? Both the agency and the hotel are in Dubai.

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I left Dubai 19 years ago without cancelling my visa. Is there anything to do to remove the travel ban?

Q: Hi, I left Dubai 19 years ago without cancelling my visa, which was through sponsorship. I informed them after I left the country, and also paid my debt to them. However, I think I may no longer be able to travel there. Is there anything I can do to remove the travel ban?

A brand new car keeps breaking down. What should I do?

Q: Hello, I bought a brand new car. After 2 weeks, it completely shut down while driving. It got fixed. Then, a few weeks later, when driving on the highway, the whole car started to shake. They have taken the car back in and are saying it will take 3–4 weeks to repair. I don’t trust the car and am not happy with the car dealership for selling me a car that clearly had faults. What should I do?

During the notice period, is an employee allowed to take sick leave?

Q: Hello, During the notice period, is an employee allowed to take sick leave? If not, can the employer deduct the sick leave from the employee’s end-of-service benefits? Additionally, what is the legal basis for this? Specifically, which law or ministerial decision governs this matter?

How can I request the free zone authority to waive my license renewal fines after they agreed on it?

Q: Hello, "Late renewal charges" for my freezone license are adding up. Last year, the free zone refused to waive the late renewal charges, but then agreed to do it. Still, it had to be approved by the free zone director and then by the Dafza general director, which took about a month. It was a month during which I had an office this time. Still, no license to operate, and for 2025, the accountant is late because he promised to deliver the audit report in early January, and then was away on pilgrimage. I found out this week, I also have a medical certificate because I am not in condition to work and can renew it by any doctor in the UAE right now, so I have to pay a 6-month fine, which is a total of AED 6000. The free zone this time does not want to waive off anything and blames me for the situation. Is there a way that I can pay and dispute the late renewal fines later? Or paying means I accept and can`t dispute? It is clear that I was wronged initially, even for the lease, which they partially admitted to last year.

How can I pay the rent after selling the property if neither the old nor the new owner is clarifying this?

Q: My current landlord has sold the building I live in, and my rent cheque was due to be presented on April 1st. I contacted the new landlord and the current landlord about my rent cheque. My current landlord advised that they had withdrawn the cheque and presented it to the new landlord. However, the new landlord has ignored three requests for clarity on how to pay my rent, which is now overdue. What are my options here? I am attempting to pay the rent, but they are unresponsive.