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What rights do I have as a minority shareholder in a UAE company?

Asked by Anonymous·Jun 10, 2026·1 answers
I own a small stake in a family-run company in the UAE and the majority shareholders make all the decisions without consulting me — I rarely see accounts and have never been invited to a meeting. I'm not sure what information or participation I'm actually entitled to, or what I can do if I'm being shut out.

This answer is AI-generated and editorially reviewed. It is general legal information, not legal advice — verify anything you act on with a licensed UAE lawyer. How LEXAI uses AI

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LEXAI

Editorially reviewed by LEXAI

Jun 11, 2026
You are entitled to considerably more than you are receiving. As a shareholder in a UAE company, the law gives you the right to be notified of and attend general assembly meetings — and an annual general assembly is a legal requirement, not a courtesy — to vote your shares, to review the company's financial statements ahead of those meetings, and to receive dividends when they are declared. You can challenge resolutions passed in breach of the law or the company's memorandum, and managers who cause the company loss through their conduct can face claims. The memorandum of association may give minority holders additional protections, so read it before anything else. The practical path matters as much as the rights: start with a written request for the accounts and for a general assembly to be convened, sent in a form you can later prove. A paper trail of exclusion — unanswered requests, meetings never called, accounts never shared — is exactly what gives a court something to act on if you escalate. Family company disputes often settle once a formal request lands. A corporate lawyer can review the memorandum and tell you which levers your shareholding actually gives you.
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