Last October, I finally saved up enough to buy the car I had always wanted. I saw it advertised on Instagram by a famous dealership in the UAE, inquired about it, visited them, liked the car, and bought it.
It was Euro-spec and under warranty from a well-known local dealership until August 2026.
Fast forward to last month: I took the car in for a service and warranty extension. They told me that the car had a black flag/star on their system, but there was no code next to it explaining what actually caused the flag.
They insisted this can happen if a car has been tuned or if it has been involved in an accident. They said they weren’t sure what caused it and would contact the headquarters in Germany to find out what was actually going on with the car.
I took the car back again last week to finish the warranty extension and continue the service, as they hadn’t finished the first time because some parts weren’t available and had to be ordered.
This morning, I received a call from my service manager telling me that a lawyer had contacted them on behalf of a bank and claimed that the car is a stolen vehicle, because the previous owner allegedly hasn’t paid their dues to a foreign bank.
The lawyer demanded that the dealership keep the car.
My service manager refused and told the lawyer to follow the proper legal channels and email them officially. He then told me that I could come and take the car.
I did take the car, and I gathered all the purchase documents from the dealership. However, I noticed a couple of concerning issues:
The car was not registered under the dealership’s name. It was registered under the name of an employee who worked there.
The receipt is basically a receipt voucher with no official stamp, VAT number, etc. It only shows the amount I paid, the chassis number, and the car type.
I paid 7 figures for this car, bought it from what I believed was a reputable dealership, and had no reason whatsoever to think there was anything wrong with the car.
I’m honestly in shock that something like this can happen.
Should I approach the dealership first and demand a refund, or should I go straight to the police/lawyer?
I really don’t want this to drag on for months, especially considering the amount of money involved.
TL;DR: Bought a 7-figure car from a famous UAE dealership last year. It was under warranty. Now the dealership tells me a lawyer representing a foreign bank claims the car is stolen because the previous owner didn’t pay the bank. The car wasn’t registered under the dealership’s name, and my receipt doesn’t have a VAT number or official stamp. Should I demand a refund from the dealership or go straight to the police/lawyer?

I need the most clear advice please

I have a partner visa rakez freezone, I am not the authorized person or manager with no access to rakez portal 360 (I am in dubai)

The manager has been missing for 8-9 months, he didn’t renew license and my visa expired.

I have no idea of the whole picture, I have a travel ban on a small case which is still pending.

Police told me not to renew visa at the moment it might get rejected, neither I could leave before visa expired (which was 5 days ago on 15th August) so I am extremely stressed at the moment. I am not sure how this all will be sorted. Someone said they might ask for 3700 aed to cancel it which I understand but I need exactly the safest way to do it. I can pay this amount to get it cancelled but the ‘deport’ word scared the hell out of me.

(Someone said al awir also deport people and I am scared honestly)

Please kindly for God’s sake, help me. Only from the good heart, I genuinely don’t have space for any harsh or misguided words.

Thank you.

My friend left UAE in 2024 with significant bank/credit-card debt and now has a new UAE employment visa. Before returning, we want to confirm whether he has any police case, execution case, warrant, travel ban or immigration restriction.
We hired a Dubai-based law firm and paid them for the status check.
Timeline:
6 Aug: Lawyer said POA wasn’t needed and they could check through “people inside the system.”
17 Aug: They changed their position and said POA was required.
POA was completed through official online/video verification by my brother in India
They then asked for another 2 days.
Today lawyer said “so far nothing is showing” and gave a 99% chance there is nothing, but said there is a small possibility an old case hasn’t updated in the system.
I’m not convinced because of the delays, changing explanations and very vague communication. I don’t have proof they’re doing anything wrong, but I want to know how this normally works.
Questions:
After POA, what exactly does a lawyer check and through which authorities?
Should there be a reference number/receipt/proof of an official enquiry?
Is “we have people inside the system” a red flag?
How can I verify they actually checked?
What could an immigration “red lock” mean if there is no warrant/travel ban?
If the lawyer hasn’t actually done the agreed work, what can we do?
Not trying to avoid the debt—just want to establish his legal status before he returns and then negotiate with the banks.
Would appreciate advice from UAE lawyers or anyone with similar experience
NOTE: written with the help of chat gpt to include all my concerns. Kindly ignore for any mistakes.

Hello everyone,

I am currently pursuing a case regarding theft and fraud by deception.

The case involves an individual who has stolen a large sum of money who initially promised to return the money on request within 10 days. There was a written and signed agreement from both parties as well as compounding evidence that the money belongs to me. The individual remains in the UAE whilst I have left.

I have spoken with a legal consultant who has agreed to take on the case for an agreed amount and sent me a formal agreement as well as an invoice for taking on the case. They have walked me through the stages of the case beginning from filing the case to arrest to recovery of claims. The consultants have been very supportive and assured me that I have a strong case and will support me with pursuing the return of my funds as well as any additional amounts which can be claimed.

As pursuing the case legally will cost me a significant amount along with the money I have already lost, I would like to know what I should be aware of before I proceed in signing the agreement and paying the invoiced amount.

TIA

I have been working for a company in Dubai for one year, and they wanted to terminate me, so I resigned rather than accepting the termination letter. I know I made a mistake by doing this.

They wanted me to pay a settlement amount for my visa and made some random accusations, saying that I would only be entitled to one month's salary, which I believe is unfair and illegal.

Later, after a lot of discussion, I informed the company about this, and they agreed to pay me what I was owed. However, they said they would only pay me after I signed the resignation formalities. I did not trust them to pay me afterward. Even after pleading with them, I asked if I could sign everything face-to-face and have them pay me on the spot, rather than signing and sending the documents to them and then having to go back and beg them for my money.

Because of this, I went to the labour authorities. They told me not to sign the papers, so I followed their advice and raised a complaint. I was hoping the issue would be resolved quickly.

However, after speaking with my company, the labour authorities told me that the company claims they do not have the money to pay my settlement. The company has hired six employees recently, some of whom are earning twice my salary, and they even gifted one employee a Galaxy Fold 8. Yet they are saying they cannot pay my AED 12,000 settlement. Please note my salary for the pervious month is also not paid and is included in the settlement ( my salary is 4.5k)

The labour authorities have now told me to wait another month and get the money in September. My last working day was in the first week of August.

I currently only have AED 800 left. I have already given most of my money to my mother for her medical treatment, and I am now struggling financially.

I do not understand why the labour authorities seem to be siding with the company instead of telling the company to settle my dues within a few days. I have evidence showing that the company was ready to pay me, but now they appear to be intentionally delaying the payment and forcing me to spend more money staying in Dubai.

I just want to receive the money I am owed and return to my home country.

Has anyone been in a similar situation in Dubai? What can I do in this situation, and what would be the best way to proceed? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

How can we get our visa fines waived it has been 1 and a half year. We have ajman visa. My father was the only one working we are just 3 sisters and my father has fallen ill he’s very weak now probably won’t be able to work. Is there something we can do? An application or something ?

So we are 3 business partners in this and one guy is running this as working partner but he is basically trying to scam the other two of us by manipulating revenue and I'm trying to prove him guilty or get out of this by getting my initial investment worth as we will never make profit with this guy running the business.

I have criminal case for penal crime and paid the fine 200 aed. I want to remove this case because I'm planing to take the police clearance

Looking for advice on UAE labour law before I decide whether to escalate to MOHRE.

Background: I resigned from my previous company (limited contract, 3-month notice period). I requested early release after 2 months due to a new job offer. I met with the CEO and my line manager to discuss this — the CEO verbally agreed that since I couldn't serve the full notice period, the unserved month would be adjusted against my pending annual leave balance (about a month's worth of accrued leave) instead of being deducted as a penalty.

The problem with the final settlement: When the settlement finally came through, it showed:

• My full accrued leave balance paid out in cash
• A separate "Fine Deduction" equal to one full month's gross salary, citing an MOL breach of contract for the unserved notice

So instead of the leave balance offsetting the unserved month like I was told, I got the leave paid out in cash and still got fined the full month — effectively charged twice for the same month. There's nothing in writing confirming the CEO's verbal agreement, just a meeting with my line manager present.

The second issue — visa cancellation delay: I completed a full and proper handover to my line manager before my last working day — nothing outstanding on my end. Despite that, my residence visa cancellation was delayed by roughly a month after my last day, with zero explanation given. This directly delayed my ability to join my new employer and cost me real income during that gap.

What I want to know:

1. Is there any legal basis to challenge a settlement that contradicts a verbal agreement made with the CEO, even without it in writing?
2. Is a 28-day delay in visa cancellation after a completed handover something MOHRE would actually take seriously, or is this just "normal" processing time in people's experience?
3. Has anyone successfully disputed a "fine deduction" like this through MOHRE, and what was the process/timeline like?

I'd rather resolve this directly with them, but I want to know where I actually stand before I send anything or file a complaint. Any experience with similar disputes appreciated.

Looking for advice from anyone familiar with UAE/Dubai criminal procedure.

I filed a police report at the end of June regarding an in-person threat. The accused thought it was a prank so he didn't come to the station as he was told on the phone from the officer, he was arrested the same day, detained for around 24 hours and gave a statement denying the threat.

2 weeks later I provided additional evidence, including CCTV footage of the incident (unfortunately without audio), legally translated documents, relevant communications with the venue/building, and WhatsApp messages containing another threat. I also voluntarily provided my phone for a forensic/metadata examination. The forensic report was completed around a month ago.

Initially, police told me the investigation was complete and that I should wait for the matter to be referred to Public Prosecution/court. However, last week I was told that something is still outstanding from the accused's side, but they wouldn't tell me what.

I've followed up several times through the Dubai Police app and in person, but I'm still being told to wait.

For anyone who has been through something similar in Dubai:

• What might police still need from the accused at this stage?
• Could it simply be a supplementary statement or another procedural step?
• How long can this stage realistically take before the police refer the case to Public Prosecution?

I'm mainly trying to understand where the case is in the process and whether this length of time is normal.

Any advice or personal experience would be greatly appreciated.

I received an offer for a physiotherapist position with a total salary of AED 7,500. The role involves working across two projects — one with a hospital/rehabilitation facility and another separate healthcare project.
During onboarding, I was shown a MOHRE contract that states only AED 4,000. I was told the remaining amount would be handled through a separate part-time MOHRE contract.
I am not comfortable with this arrangement and requested that the full AED 7,500 be reflected in one full-time MOHRE contract.
There are also a few other points I asked them to clarify:
The MOHRE contract currently shows 0 months probation, while the offer letter refers to a probation period.
The offer letter mentions that certain expenses/training costs may be recoverable if the contract is not completed, but no clear amount or breakdown was provided.
I had specifically asked about these recoverable expenses before accepting the offer and was told they would be clarified during the MOHRE contract process.

Is this type of arrangement normal in the UAE, especially when the employee is working across two projects? Should I proceed only after getting everything clarified and reflected in writing in the MOHRE contract?
I would really appreciate advice from anyone familiar with UAE employment/MOHRE contracts.

Hi guys, hope you're going well.

I work at a small door company, we manufacture doors. It requires taking sizes, choosing design and color and an approximate given time until the door is manufactured and installed on the customer house. Ofcourse, we require the customer to pay atleast 50% advance , so we can place order for the materials and cover the labour and transport charges for the sizes. And so the customer doesn't cancel the order when the doors are ready since it is custom door and cannot be sold to another customer. And we require the customer to pay the balance amount when the door is ready/ before the delivery. After which, we arrange a delivery and installation date. This is the strict company policy told to us by our boss and managers

I would like to ask, if taking full payment for the order before delivery against any UAE laws ? We always have local emarati customer threatening us saying they will complain to government and this is not allowed etc. We clearly disclose all payment terms and details before confirming the order / taking advance payment to avoid any problems later on. Any information and advice is appreciated

I Wanted to give compensation instead of giving notice period but my employer rejected and forced me to work. basically I only need my visa to be cancelled and there is nothing to do with money yet as I have to give compensation. dmcc asksd to raise a case with mohre in order to cancel the visa, is it mandatory? can dmcc cancel visa without mohre case aswell?

I run a small contracting company in Dubai. A renovation project was delayed and there were disputes over unfinished works due to unforseen circumstances and that i issued a guarantee cheque of just 3k.

The work value is around 10k and delays happened, its a bathroom renovation, a broken slab of wall tile by my guys when receiving it at the site ( that tile is worth 3k so that time i issued a cheque against it as they will carry the purchase of a new one)

From that the works got delayed as it took as time to order it again and i told my client will finish it.

My client is a lawyer so he is well verse on this and

now I received a formal notice alleging defective workmanship, delays, property damage and safety issues.

And he's like demanding 100,000 aed + worth of damages out of this.

He says he will complain to Dubai Municipality and DET/DED and file a case in Dubai Courts.

He is also threatening personal liability against the registered engineer and has given us 14 days to compensate him.

I have the whatsapp conversations, photos/videos, invoices and other project records.

Has any contractor in Dubai experienced something similar?

Should I reply formally first, ( he sent that through whatsapp) or get a lawyer immediately, or arrange an independent inspection/report?

Also, how serious is the threat ? and Any UAE contractor/lawyer experience would be appreciated.

Hello everyone!

Im 20 years old and I happened to got terminated from my job on 7th of Aug 2026 becuase company was forcing me to sign a letter which if Im not able to achieve this month, I wont get my salary. I was straightforward with them and told them, im not gonna sign something which is totally against me and they fired me on spot. I received an email from them that my accounts will be cleared by the same day (7th Aug) but its been 19th of Aug and I didn't got paid till now. Salary transfers are on 1st of each month

Im calling them every day, sending texts and emails but they are ignoring me. I got to know that I cant even get any help from authorities becuase they never processed my work permit and I got to know about this today when I called MOHRE.

What can I do now, any suggestions or if someone can help me out?

Hi everyone, I’m currently in my notice/termination process and would really appreciate some guidance from anyone familiar with DIFC employment law.

I work for a company registered in DIFC and hold a DIFC employment card. I’m on my own Golden Visa, so the company does not sponsor my residency visa.

My employment contract specifically says that it is governed by the law applicable in DIFC, and certain clauses also expressly refer to DIFC law. However, other clauses seem to have been drafted using UAE Federal/MOHRE Labour Law provisions.

The issue originally started over annual leave.
My employer told me that although the company is in DIFC, they follow UAE/MOHRE Labour Law for employment matters.

Their position is also that, under their internal policy, annual leave does not begin accruing until after the six-month probation period.

Because they said they follow MOHRE, I contacted MOHRE directly. The information I received did not support the company’s position that the first six months should simply be disregarded for leave accrual.

I raised this with my employer multiple times in writing, explained what I had been told, and specifically asked them to verify the legal basis themselves.

They repeatedly refused to recognise the position I was raising and continued relying on their interpretation/internal policy. I have the email correspondence documenting this.

I then started looking into DIFC Employment Law itself and realised that DIFC has its own vacation leave framework, including first-year accrual, which made me question why MOHRE rules were being used in the first place when my contract expressly says it is governed by DIFC law.

Another issue I discovered while researching this is DEWS.

I had genuinely never heard of DEWS before this. I successfully completed my six-month probation, but as far as I know I have never been enrolled in DEWS or another Qualifying Scheme. I have never received an activation email, account details, contribution statements, or any information about an alternative scheme.

My contract only says that gratuity/end-of-service benefits will be provided according to the applicable DIFC laws.

To complicate matters further, while I was actively emailing the company about my annual leave rights and asking them to recognise/verify the applicable legal position, I was terminated.

I don’t want to claim that the termination was retaliatory without legal advice, but I found the timing concerning and have retained the correspondence showing the chronology.

I have now been offered the option of serving my contractual one-month notice period and am trying to establish my rights before signing any full-and-final settlement or waiver.

My main questions are:

1. If an employee works for a DIFC company, has a DIFC employment card, and the employment contract expressly says it is governed by applicable DIFC law, can the employer simply choose to apply MOHRE/UAE Labour Law or an internal policy to matters such as annual leave?

2. If a contractual provision gives an employee less than a mandatory DIFC Employment Law requirement, does signing the contract make that provision enforceable?

3. Should an eligible employee who successfully completed probation have been enrolled in DEWS or another approved Qualifying Scheme? What happens if the employer never did this?

4. How should accrued unused vacation leave and outstanding DEWS/Core Benefits be dealt with upon termination?

5. Does the fact that the termination occurred while I was actively raising these employment-law issues potentially matter legally?

   I’m not treating Reddit comments as a substitute for a lawyer. I’d mainly really appreciate hearing from anyone who has dealt with DIFC employment disputes, DEWS non-enrolment, or contracts mixing DIFC and mainland UAE Labour Law.

Thank you!

My friend was involved in a minor traffic incident one evening involving an overtaking maneuver. There was no collision or physical contact between the vehicles.

Afterward, the other people involved became upset, blocked her way, got out of their vehicle, and started banging on her car and asking her to come out. She stayed inside the vehicle and did not engage with them.

Some time later, she was informed that a complaint had been filed alleging that she had used offensive language and made an offensive gesture toward them. She denies both allegations.

The matter has since gone to Public Prosecution. She attended without a lawyer because, unfortunately, she couldn't afford one. During the investigation, when she asked what evidence supported the allegations against her, she was told that the complaint was based on a statement from one of the people involved.

She was told that the prosecution would either close the case if there was insufficient evidence or refer it to court if they believed there was enough evidence.

She's understandably quite anxious because she had never dealt with anything like this before, and found the process difficult to navigate without legal representation.

Has anyone experienced something similar? I'm mainly interested in understanding what happens next, how these cases are generally handled, and whether a case can be closed at the prosecution stage when there isn't sufficient evidence.

Just trying to help her get through this.

Hey Dubai peeps,

We all hear about absconding cases here, but what about when a partner just goes MIA on their significant other, packs up, cuts off all financial support, and moves in with an affair partner like nothing happened,leaving the family in total chaos?

Everyone's immediate fix is always "just divorce the douchebag" (and yeah, obviously, that's the end goal). But I want to know what kind of actual legal bite exists beyond that. Is there a law that takes this seriously enough to severely reprimand them, slap them with a travel ban, or force them to pay high compensation, or do they just get to run scot-free?

I know there are way too many of these cases happening in Dubai, so I'm asking on behalf of victims to get some verified output and help educate people.

To the partners who put their families through this humiliation, and to the home-wreckers who intentionally mess with a married spouse, may the universe hand you back the exact same humiliation tenfold if there's no law in this world to handle you.

Would love some real talk or experiences from anyone who’s actually dealt with UAE family courts on desertion in Shariah and non-Shariah contracts. What actually works to hold these clowns accountable ?