How do I enforce a civil judgment in Dubai if the other party refuses to pay?

Winning was indeed only half the battle — the judgment itself does not move money. The second half is the execution file. Once a judgment is final, you open an execution case with the execution court at Dubai Courts, attaching the judgment. The court formally notifies the debtor to pay within a set period, and if he does not, the execution judge has real teeth: freezing bank accounts, attaching a portion of salary, seizing and auctioning vehicles, shares or property, imposing a travel ban, and summoning the debtor to disclose assets. In other words, the proceedings reach whatever the debtor actually owns — which is why the practical variable is not the law but the assets. If you know where he banks, works or holds property, tell the court; targeted attachment requests move much faster than fishing. Timelines vary accordingly: a debtor with a visible salary or account can be reached in weeks, while a debtor who has hidden assets takes longer and may need investigative steps. File sooner rather than later, since assets have a way of moving. An execution lawyer who knows how to trace assets is often the difference between a paper judgment and actual recovery.