Questions & Answers - Legal Advice Middle East

Resigning without notice for the non-payment of salaries

Q: Sir, I am currently working for a construction company in Dubai. We haven`t received our salaries for 5 months already. I got an offer from another company and they need me to start urgently. As my contract is unlimited, I am required to finish the 1-month notice as per the law. However, I also quoted that as per law, if a certain company has not paid their employees at least 3 months, the employee is entitled to leave without completing the notice period. I filed a complaint at the MOHRE with a reason of leaving the company in 2 weeks` notice due to the failure of releasing salaries. I also need to get my settlement as soon as possible as well. Now, they are threatening me that this case will go against me and my future career employment. Any advice on what to do?

Securing interests of a foreign company providing services in the UAE

Q: Hi Ahmed, I am from a digital marketing company and we are based in Singapore. We are delivering online sales/leads to clients in Dubai. If any client doesn`t pay for the services, what can we do? Also, I have seen that people are changing jobs frequently there. So, if the contact person also left the job, how can we proceed to recover the amount against invoices. Looking for your advice.

Repercussions of resigning during probation to take a better offer

Q: I found a job in JLT a month ago and now I got a better offer from a Mainland company, which I want to accept their offer. I am still on probation with a 2-year contract, but it clearly mentions that both parties can terminate the contract within the notice period. So not sure if it`s a limited or unlimited contract. Didn`t inform the employer yet. What will the process look like? Will I be banned? Should I pay a fee?

The effect of non-competition agreements and clauses on the employee

Q: Recently, our management (Free zone company) asked us to sign a document. It mentions 3-month notice period as one clause. The other being if the resigned employee approaches or starts a business connection (as supplier and buyer) with one of the existing clients of the ex-employer, the ex-employer can file a case against the ex-employee for USD 100 K. What`s the legal validity of this? I heard any document, or contract will not be valid once the employee visa is cancelled.

الإجراءات القانونية وحقوق الزوجة في دعوى طلاق للضرر

س: السلام عليكم أنا متزوجة من مواطن إماراتي وأنا وافدة وعندي ابنة عمرها 3 أشهر وأبوها لا يقرب لها أبداً ويقول لي "أنا أكرهها وهي يمكن أصلاً ليست ابنتي. أنت حملت بها حين سافرتي لزياره أهلك". وللعلم أول ما قلت له أنني حامل، طلب مني أن أجهض فرفضت وأحضر دواء ورفضت تناوله. بعدها قال لي "أنا اشتقت لأهلك فلنسافر ونزورهم". سافرنا وتركني في بلد أهلي ورجع. طلبت منه فلوس لأجل تذكرة السفر فرفض وبقيت في بيت أهلي 5 أشهر ولم يسأل علي ولا على جنيني. والآن كونه كل يوم يتهمني في شرفي وأن البنت ليست ابنته، ما عدت أطيق العيش معه. السؤال. ما الإجراءات التي يمكن أن أتخذها؟ وهل كونه يتهمني في شرفي سبب كافٍ لرفع قضية طلاق للضرر؟ علماً أنه ليس عندي إثبات وهو بالطبع سينكر لأنه سبق واتصلت بوالدته وأخبرتها فأنكر أنه قال هذا الكلام.

Checking status for travel ban or blacklist in the UAE

Q: I have been to Dubai for 9 years and left with 2 credit cards unpaid in 2012. In 2014 and 2015, a collection agency traced me to pay my credit card and the year after another person from the same company traced me again for my second card. Both cards were paid with negotiations with the bank to a minimum paid. Now one of my friends is saying there is a case on me from a bank. I have paid everything and I even have all my transactions online. How can I know if I really have a case or my friend is bluffing me? If you will need more details about it to trace if there`s any case against me, what will be the fees as well?

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Is it illegal to hold the passport of an employee?

Q: Can a company owner keep my original passport with him?

Initiating legal action against the employer for holding salaries

Q: I`m working in a company in Dubai. We did not get the salary from 5 months, and the owner keeps our original passports with him. What do I have to do now?

استعمال الزوجة مستندات سرية تخص زوجها في دعوى طلاق

س: أواجه زوجتي في الفترة الحالية بالمحكمة في قضية طلاق للضرر، ولكن اتهاماتها كيدية حيث أنها لم تقدم أي دليل على صحة كلامها. وأثناء الجلسات، تفاجأت بأنها تقدم في مذكرتها مستندات خاصه بجهة عملي بحجة أنني أملك هذه الشركة. وللعلم أنا موظف فقط في العلاقات العامة، والمستندات سرية وخاصة بعملي ولكنها تعدت على أسرار عملي وقدمتها ضدي. ومازالت مستمرة بمحاولة إيذائي بأي طريقة. وقد خرجت من المنزل وتسكن مع عائلة ليست من أهلها ويوجد رجال في المنزل. السؤال: هل يحق لي فتح بلاغ إفشاء أسرار وخيانة أمانة؟ هل يحق لي اتهامها بالخلوة غير الشرعية؟ المصيبة أن طفلي معها وتتركه في المنزل الخاص بالعائلة العربية يومياً وتعود ليلاً.

Filing a bounced cheque against a pending loan of a friend

Q: My friend borrowed AED 40K from me and then he issued a cheque worth AED 40k which has bounced when it was deposited in the bank. He is not responding properly. Can I proceed legally? Please advise

حق البنك بمطالبة العميل عن الديون المستحقة في بلده

س: السلام عليكم تم إعطائي خيار في عملي إما الاستقالة مع عدم ذكر الأسباب أو إنهاء عقدي ولكن بمضرة لي. المهم، كان ذلك فجائي واستقلت بالرغم من وجود مبالغ على بطاقتي الائتمانية حيث كنت أسدد القيمة الأدنى بسبب ظروف آخر فترة. ولعدم تحملي الأعباء المادية وخاصة أن أولادي معي، سافرت دون دفع المتبقي على البطاقات؛ تقريباً على واحدة ٥٠ ألف درهم لبنك رأس الخيمة والأخرى ٦٠ ألف لبنك الخليج. كنت آمل أن أرسل أولادي وأرجع إلى الإمارات للبحث عن عمل، ولكن حصل تأخير فاتصل مكتب محاماة من الأردن بالنيابة عن بنك رأس الخيمة مطالباً بقيمة البطاقة. لو سمحتم، فعلياً ما الإجراء الواقعي للبنك وهل يمكن أن يقاضيني عن طريق محامي في الأردن و يرسلني إلى الإمارات باستخدام الإنتربول؟ جزاكم الله خيراً

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Liability of daughter against the debts of her father

Q: To whom this may concern, I returned back to Australia after 10 years in Abu Dhabi in 2015. As I turn 18 this year in November, I plan on visiting friends who are in the UAE for about a month. I would like to travel with them around the country freely without any prosecution from local officials. My father had to leave the UAE in 2016 for health reasons and has unpaid debts in the UAE, Abu Dhabi specifically. I would like to know and have it in writing if I would be able to travel freely to the UAE at the end of the year and that I am not liable for my parents` debts/problems as I have no legal responsibilities for their actions. Kind regards.

How to act against a civil case for a bank loan

Q: Sir, What will be the procedure when the bank initiates a civil case on a personal loan?

إيقاف خدمات العميل بسبب دين للبنك

س: مساء الخير يطالبني البنك الأهلي بمبلغ 130 ألف متأخرات عن 10 أشهر، ويهددني بإيقاف الخدمات. ما الحل؟

The legal procedure for dissolution of partnership

Q: Hello, I am looking for legal help to shut down a partnership in Dubai or to somehow cancel my share in the partnership. I am a minority partner and I no longer want to be in the partnership due to questionable activities of the other partner.

Termination of a limited employment contract without notice

Q: Sir, I work in a telecom company for more than 1 year. Now, the company has decided to terminate me because of non-performance but till now I didn`t receive any termination email. Today I received a message from MOL that my company has complained against me. My contract is limited and I am doing a job as sales. Please advise.