Questions & Answers - Legal Advice Middle East

Golden Visa holder with non-compete clause: Can I work for a competitor?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, Before I left the company, I signed a non-competition clause stating that I could not join any company that is a competitor for two years. My question is, can I work in the same industry (as a competitor) of my previous company now that I have a Golden Visa under my wife?

هل تُطبق عقوبة عند الاستقالة والانتقال إلى وظيفة أخرى إذا لم يمر على الإقامة 6 أشهر؟

س: السلام عليكم، أعمل في شركة منذ سنة ونصف. في البداية حصلت على عرض عمل ولكن لم تصدر إقامه لوجود حظر على الشركة. صدرت منذ 4 أشهر إقامة لي على شركة أخرى يملكها صاحب الشركة التي أعمل بها بسبب الحظر على الشركة التي أعمل بها، ولكن لم أحصل على شهادة عدم ممانعة (إعارة). الآن أريد تقديم استقالتي والانتقال إلى وظيفة جديدة. ما الإجراءات؟ وهل تُطبّق عقوبات ضدي لأنني لم أكمل 6 أشهر على الإقامة أو أي عقوبات أخرى؟

Landlord is evicting me for renovation. When must he show proof?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, My landlord had originally said that I could stay in the villa during the minor renovation (inside) and construction of a new building outside. He put it in writing and agreed that the tenancy value of the property would not increase significantly for two years based on these improvements. I then received an eviction notice due to renovation. I have lived in the same villa for 18 years. My question is: At what point does the landlord need to have the attested Dubai Municipality report to show that the planned renovation makes the property uninhabitable, as this has not been shown anywhere yet?

Tenant eviction: After appeal rejection, can they still fight?

Q: Hello, I have filed a dispute in the RDC against a tenant for non-payment of rent. The judgment was in my favor and was approved. The tenant filed an appeal, but it was rejected by the higher court. My question is: now that I have filed for enforcement of the judgment, is there a possibility that the tenant or their lawyer will file another appeal, dispute the eviction, or ask for a stay? Appreciate your advice and guidance!

Landlord lied to evict tenants for higher rent: Is legal action worth it?

Q: Dear Questioner, Abusing tenant trust for fake eviction! We are based in Dubai and have had a good three-year relationship with our landlord, who is in Abu Dhabi. The building had a lot of maintenance issues, and I always kept him informed about the increasing problems. Six months before the contract expiry date, the landlord visited us and said: "I have decided to return to Dubai with my family. Thanks to our relationship since 2020 and the problems you`re facing in the building, I assume this is okay for you. I don`t want to send a legal notice. Can you please send me an email for eviction?" As we knew the family and trusted them, we accepted their request. However, after moving out, I saw that he was renting the house for a higher rent! Is it worth initiating a legal case, as he lied to us? By chance, in my email to him, I mentioned that "we are leaving as you told us that you`re moving into your house," and he responded positively. The emails were through the registered mail addresses. Thanks in advance for your guidance!

UAE bank loan: Can an agency in my home country take action there?

Q: Hi, I took a loan from a bank in the UAE in 2014 for an amount of 22,000 AED, but I have to pay 33,000 AED. I paid almost 23,000 AED to the bank, but I lost my job in 2016 and was unable to pay the remaining loan amount. The bank filed a police case against me, which I cleared by paying a fine of around 2,200 AED. Since then, the bank has not contacted me in the last 4-5 years, even though I have told them that I already cleared the police case and do not have the money to pay the remaining loan amount. Yesterday, I received a call from my home country, Pakistan, and someone told me that I must pay the bank loan at any cost in the UAE, otherwise, I will face serious consequences. My question is, since I am still in the UAE, can any agency or department from my country call me or force me to pay the amount? Can they take any action against me? Please give your valuable comments. Thanks!

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Can I quit my job without notice if my labor contract expires?

Q: Greeting sir, I would like to ask that I have been working at a company as a supervisor in a restaurant for the past six years. My unlimited labor contract expires on October 27, 2023, but my Emirates ID expires on December 12. Can I stop working on October 27 without sending a non-renewal letter? My employer has not yet asked me if I want to renew or cancel my contract. Thank you!

Will I get in trouble if I leave my job before finishing my contract?

Q: Hi Sir/ma`am, I just want to ask if I can leave my boss even though I haven`t finished my contract here. I`ve only been here for a year and one month, but I just want to go back to my country because I don`t want to work for them anymore. Will I get in trouble if I leave even though I bought my ticket back to my country?

Dubai employer fails to provide visa: can the employee file a complaint?

Q: Hello, Is there a solution for an employee who signed a two-year contract with a company in Dubai and was promised that the company would provide an employment visa within 30 days? However, the company failed to do so and did not even inform the employee. As a result, the employee`s own visit visa expired, and the employee overstayed for two months and absconded. The company even took the employee`s passport. The company has now been suspended for an unknown period of time, and the employee has not been paid since the suspension. How can the employee file a complaint against the employer in this case?

Is the settlement of final dues enough for the employer to cancel my visa?

Q: Hi I resigned from a DSO free zone company and had signed the document for my final dues (but no visa cancellation document). My visa has now suddenly been cancelled, I am surprised as I thought I would need to sign a separate document to agree to visa cancellation. Is the settlement of final dues enough for the employer to cancel my visa?

My employer filed a labor complaint for loss after cancellation. Is this valid or not?

Q: My employer filed a labor complaint for loss and damage after cancellation. Is this valid or not? How the court treats the fault complaints?

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How can I lift the travel ban to go to my home country?

Q: How can I lift the travel ban to go to my home country? The court judgment was for the company side. I have to pay 5000 dirhams. But I don`t have money. How can I remove the travel ban?

Information not available upon cancellation of a labor card. What to do?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, My wife has been requesting the cancellation of her labor card for 10 days. Now when we check online on the website, it says, "Electronic Work Permit information not available for the given number." What does that mean?

How to dispute an eviction notice if it was not sent properly by the landlord?

Q: Hi Sir/Madam My landlord filed an eviction case in RDC against me based on an email notice he sent last year. After the first hearing, the judge asked the landlord to deposit a fee for expert opinion. The expert came to the conclusion that the email notice is valid for eviction. When I quoted the law and was told that the email notice was not valid legally as per RERA law, the expert said that the law was not his area of expertise and gave a final report in the landlord`s favor. In such cases, does the judge usually give a verdict based on the conclusion of the expert report or the RERA law?

Employer asking for visa reimbursement after resignation: do I need to pay?

Q: Hello Sir/Madam, I have already finished my first year with my company and resigned. My employer is asking me to reimburse the cost of my visa because I did not finish my two-year contract. Do I need to pay? The cost is 7,000 AED.

My ex-wife had refused to take my house in Sharjah and wants a one-time payment. What to do?

Q: My ex-wife had refused to take my house in Sharjah. She refused to accept that I arrange a house and asked for a full one-time payment. And despite we paid, she is reluctant to provide a house contract and refused to comply the request and proof of residence as the court has granted housing allowance to her. She had asked for housing as she did not had any whereas she has still staying with her family since then. In this situation, do I have the right to ask the court to cancel or reduce this amount in this scenario or she can again twist this in some way. Will this be a fruitful exercise to lodge the issue?