United Arab Emirates: Civil Law

A person who drives on a UAE road without a driving licence, or with a licence that does not cover the type of vehicle he is driving, commits a criminal offence rather than a routine traffic violation. On a first offence, the court may impose imprisonment of up to three months and a fine of between AED 5,000 and AED 50,000, or either penalty alone. On a repeat offence, imprisonment is for not less than three months and the fine rises to between AED 20,000 and AED 100,000, again with the court able to impose either penalty alone. These penalties are set out in Article 37 of Federal Decree-Law No. (14) of 2024 on the Regulation of Traffic (the “Traffic Law”).

Commercial contracts are signed with the expectation that both sides will perform what they have promised. But sometimes an unexpected event occurs that is outside the parties’ control and makes performance impossible.

Traditionally, judicial systems around the world relied on conventional court procedures across all types of courts, including civil courts, personal status courts, criminal courts, and specialized courts.

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Off-plan property investments can quickly turn into costly disputes when developers fail to meet obligations.