Middle East Legal Resources - Legal Advice Middle East

Can the landlord ask for two months penalty if I break the contract before signing Ejari?

Q: After having signed the rental contract and handed the cheques, I communicated to the landlord that I no longer wanted to start the rental. I did so with more than a week`s notice before the rental start date. No Ejari has been signed. The landlord is now asking me to pay a 2-month penalty. is this legal?

I signed an MOU to purchase a property and paid the amount but the seller didn't provide NOC. What to do?

Q: I decided to purchase a penthouse in Abu Dhabi. I signed an MOU with the seller through a broker. The seller had a mortgage obligation with the bank. The mortgage amount was slightly higher than the transaction amount. According to the terms of the MOU, I paid off the seller’s mortgage to the bank, covering the purchase amount, while the seller paid the remaining balance. Sometime after my payment, the broker sent me a Mortgage Release document confirming that the penthouse no longer had any encumbrances. Next, the seller was supposed to obtain the NOC, after which we would go to the municipality to transfer the title. However, the seller has not obtained the NOC! According to the broker, the seller is disputing the amount assigned to him for payment by the management company and seemingly intends to sue the company. It has already been three months since my payment! The broker says that the seller is willing to sign a court document that would ensure my guarantees. Is this true?

Can I get a Dubai Police Clearance Certificate with an unsettled fine in Abu Dhabi?

Q: Hello, I have an unsettled fine on my Emirates ID for crossing the road without using a pedestrian crossing, amounting to 260 AED in Abu Dhabi. Can I obtain a Dubai Police Clearance Certificate?

A UAE-based app failed to pay my employees' salaries and won't refund my money. What to do?

Q: Dear Lawyers, I sent my employees` salaries through a UAE-based online app. After 11 days, they have not received their salaries, despite the app`s claim that payments would be processed in one day. The app is refusing to return my money, and the recipients have not received their payments either. What legal options do I have against this company/app?

My company complained against me in Mohre after my resignation claiming training fees from me

Q: My company complained against me in MOHRE after my resignation claiming training fees from me. The claim was rejected by the MOHRE and they have now filed in Abu Dhabi FIC court against MOHRE`s decision. I received a message that the case hearing is on 9th December. My question is: 1. Do I need to submit anything before the hearing like a statement or anything else? I don`t know Arabic, so can I speak English in front of the judge? 2. I want to get a temporary work permit so that I can work in another company during this case. Can the Abu Dhabi court judge issue me the temporary work permit during the hearing or there is a separate procedure to get that?

I resigned and completed notice period but they refused to cancel my visa to pay training fees. What to do?

Q: Salam, I resigned from my company but after the notice period was complete, they didn`t cancel my visa and filed a complaint claiming training fees. I didn`t get any training from the company. I also filed a labor card cancelation but it was kept on hold due to their pending training claim. Later, MOHRE gave a final decision and rejected their claim. But I still haven`t received an update on my labor card cancelation appeal. Now, the company has appealed in court against MOHRE`s decision on training. 1. What would be the next step in the Labor Judicial Court and normally how many days does the court take to give a final decision? Can they change the decision? 2. What will happen to my visa cancelation now, can MOHRE still cancel my labor card since a decision has been made or will it be delayed due to a court appeal by the company? I want my visa cancelation asap. What should I do?

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عقد العمل في ظل قانون العمل الإماراتي

خضع تنظيم عقد العمل لتعديل وتحديث مستمر في الإمارات العربية المتحدة نظراً لأهميته في تنظيم العلاقة بين العامل وصاحب العمل ليعكس إراتيهما الفعلية ويلحظ كافة التفاصيل التي تبقي على التوازن في العلاقة العمالية. لذا يتوجب على كل من العامل وصاحب العمل البقاء على اطلاع دائم على التعديلات المتعلقة بهذا الشأن لتفادي أية عواقب ناجمة عن تصرفات قانونية معينة.

What can I do if a company is recording voices in my house through a work laptop?

Q: Good Day! my concern is that I had a relationship with a boy and he went on vacation. As he requested to help him with his work during his vacation period, he gave me his laptop and told me his company would use some of his files remotely. I only have to open the laptop and keep it connected to the internet. They have done their work from time to time and I have seen they did the voice recording. When I checked, they voice-recorded the daily activities of my room. I asked my BF and he said he didn`t know about this and he asked his IT staff. IT Staff mentioned that as per his managing director; `s instructions, they did it and if anything happens he will hold the responsibility [I have a screenshot of this conversation]. Since I`m really worried about my privacy, I would like to know what I can do about this matter and how I can file a case against them. I have all the voice recordings, his laptop, and a screenshot of their conversation. Thank you.

Company assets blocked and a travel ban imposed. What’s the next step to recover my dues?

Q: Dear Lawyers, My case is in the execution court. I have taken multiple measures, including blocking the company’s traffic file, bank accounts, and trade license, but the company has neither paid the dues nor responded. Finally, I requested the court to impose a travel ban on the company’s manager, which the court approved. However, the defendant has repeatedly requested the court to lift the travel ban, arguing that he is a local national and the case is against the company (an LLC), not him personally. So far, the court has rejected his requests. Could you please advise on further actions I can take to recover the funds? Can I request an arrest order? If yes, on what grounds? Also, is there any possibility that the court might lift the travel ban without the payment being made?

Company not providing work or canceling my visa for months. What to do?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I have a cancellation issue with the company. They have not been giving me work, nor have they canceled my visa for the past 4 to 5 months. What should I do?

Can an expert case uncover hidden accounts and linked company transactions automatically?

Q: Dear Lawyers, If I start an expert case, would the expert be able to retrieve all the company’s bank accounts automatically (including hidden ones), or would I need to take additional action? If suspicious transactions involve another company, can their bank accounts be checked automatically within the same case?

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Freezing accounts in an expert case until the Court of Cassation if irregularities are found

Q: Dear Lawyers, If I start an expert case where irregularities are found, can I request to freeze the accounts until the end (until the Court of Cassation, if needed)? Thank you!

How can an employer report an employee to ICP for overstaying after grace period expiry?

Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I am an employer. How can I file a complaint with ICP against a person who has not left the country after their visa was canceled and the grace period has ended?

Can two partners in a civil company make decisions without the approval of the third partner?

Q: Hi I would like to get advice on Business Law 1. In a Partnership Business (civil company not LLC) of Partner A-50%, PartnerB-25%, and PartnerC-25% can Partner A who is the Managing Director of the Company authorize only one partner (eg: Partner C) as the sole Bank Signatory without the consent of Partner B? 2. How much would a process of evaluation of the Company asset and filing for a legal action to withdraw the partnership cost? And how long does it take to allocate the 25% share value to the quitting partner?

Can I travel to GCC countries if I have an unresolved credit loan in the UAE?

Q: Hello Everyone! I have a credit loan of around 40,000 AED in the UAE, and due to being jobless, I was unable to pay the installments. If a travel ban is imposed on me in the UAE because of this, will I still be able to travel to Saudi Arabia in 2025? I am very serious about paying and clearing my loans so I need clarity on whether the UAE travel bans extend to traveling to other GCC countries.

How can I act against the domestic violence and cheating of my boyfriend?

Q: Hi. I have been with my boyfriend for 2 years now. I moved in with him. When we started dating, he already borrowed some money from me. Then later on, he asked me to take a loan so he could get a flat. Then when I got the bonus, we used it to pay his pending to clear his case. He keeps cheating on me. many times I caught him. He became violent, hitting me, punching me even in a taxi, and he pulled my hair in front of his brothers. He broke my phone when I tried to move out. But still, I stayed because I love him. He started buying cameras at home. He is hiding the camera because he is accusing me of cheating. He is accusing me of having a relationship with other guys in the flat. He is becoming more and more abusive. Every day he is accusing me of something. I bought a camera and helped him install it to prove he was wrong. But he kept accusing me of even changing the position of the camera every day. What should I do? What legal action can I take? I want to put an end to this now.

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