Can I take infringement to civil court or must it be a criminal complaint in the UAE?

In the UAE you generally have more than one route against IP infringement, and they can be used together. A civil claim lets you ask the court to order the infringer to stop, to seize or destroy infringing goods, and to pay damages for the harm caused. Separately, certain IP violations — particularly counterfeiting and bad-faith imitation of a registered trademark — can amount to criminal offences under the federal trademark law (Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021), so you can file a criminal complaint with the police or public prosecution, which may lead to penalties against the wrongdoer. There are also administrative routes: complaints to the economic development department or the Ministry of Economy can trigger inspections and seizures, and customs recordal can stop infringing imports at the border. Which path fits depends on your goal — compensation points toward civil action, deterrence and penalties toward criminal, and fast market clean-up toward administrative or customs measures. Often a combination works best. Because procedures and evidence requirements differ, get advice early. A UAE IP lawyer on LEXAI can recommend and run the right enforcement strategy.