United Arab Emirates: Trials & Appeals & Compensation

The Dubai International Financial Centre Court of Appeal has set aside portions of an arbitral award in a landmark ruling, finding that a bank was denied the opportunity to defend against an unpleaded claim introduced only in post-hearing submissions. This decision marks the first time DIFC Courts have intervened on procedural fairness grounds, establishing important precedent for when tribunals must allow parties to respond to new claims raised late in arbitration proceedings.

Awatif Mohammad Shoqi Advocates & Legal Consultancy has expanded its foreign judgment enforcement services in the UAE to support international businesses, law firms and individuals seeking to enforce overseas court judgments against assets and debtors located within the country. The firm's enhanced service offering is designed to assist clients throughout the UAE enforcement process, including assessing the enforceability of foreign judgments, reviewing court documents, preparing enforcement applications, c

The Court of Cassation in Abu Dhabi has delivered a landmark ruling clarifying that a woman's independent salary or personal assets do not automatically disqualify her from receiving financial compensation following divorce. The decision, which rejected a former husband's appeal, establishes that post-divorce financial claims must be assessed holistically, considering factors such as marriage duration, financial standing of both spouses, and income disparities rather than employment status alone.

Plaintiff files the instant case against his ex-wife defendant, requesting the court to reduce the custodial rent required to be paid by him, and declare that he is the owner of a jointly owned property, and claim compensation from the defendant. The plaintiff explained that the couple was married and subsequently divorced and he was required to pay the custodial rent.

Wife files a case against the husband for maintenance for herself and her daughter, and the custody of the child. The wife states that the marriage between the two had been unpleasant from the beginning, due to constant absence of the husband in the marital home, or the husband returning home drunk during late hours of the night, subjecting the wife to verbal abuse, and not providing for the family in spite of the husband’s substantial income. The wife claims that as a result, she was forced to obtain financial assistance from her brother and family.

The wife seeks fault-based divorce from her husband and custody of two minor children, on the grounds that the husband mistreated her, committed adultery and abandoned her and their children. She claims that the couple has been separated for the past two years. The wife also claims that the husband has not been providing for the family financially and requests to divorce him under the Indian Hindu law.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) operates a multi-layered judicial system that combines civil law principles, Islamic Sharia, and modern statutory legislation.

In a significant new precedent, we obtained a judgment in favour of our client against a bank concerning an erroneous transfer of funds resulting from fraudulent actions by third parties.

2025 was a transformational year in the Gulf Cooperation Council ("GCC") and Middle East and North Africa ("MENA") regions for digitalisation on the dispute resolution front.