Foreign judgment from a UK court — can I enforce it in the UAE?

Question

I obtained a UK High Court judgment for GBP 240k against a UAE resident debtor. Cyprus tried earlier and failed. What is the realistic path in the UAE?

Marcus Whitfield · Accepted Answer

Post-2022 there is a viable UAE route. The UAE and the UK have no bilateral enforcement treaty but the UAE Civil Procedure Law (Articles 222-225) allows enforcement of foreign judgments where: (i) the UAE court has no exclusive jurisdiction; (ii) the foreign court had proper jurisdiction; (iii) the defendant was properly served; (iv) the judgment is final and not contrary to UAE public policy. File at Dubai Courts (or ADGM Courts which are even more receptive — they apply the English common-law approach). Budget 9-15 months and AED 80-120k in fees, but the case is winnable on documentary diligence.

Khalid Al-Suwaidi · Answer

Confirmation from a UAE-litigation perspective: the public-policy gate is the main hurdle. Avoid framing recovery in interest-heavy terms — UAE courts treat compound or above-statutory interest as contrary to Sharia public policy and will strike it out. Submit the net principal cleanly; interest claims at 12% Sharia-compatible rate are accepted.

Foreign judgment from a UK court — can I enforce it in the UAE?

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