What should I do after receiving a civil court summons in Dubai?

Do not ignore it — that is the one move that genuinely makes things worse, because a court can decide the case in your absence. First, get the case number from the notification and look the case up on the Dubai Courts website or app, where you can see the hearing date, the claimant's filings and the deadlines that apply to you. Court proceedings are conducted in Arabic, so have the papers properly translated before deciding anything; the details of what is actually claimed matter. You are not required to stand up in court yourself: in civil cases a lawyer can be appointed to attend and file on your behalf, and personal attendance is usually unnecessary. What needs to happen before the hearing is a written defence memorandum responding to the claim, supported by your evidence — in a personal loan dispute, that means bank transfers, messages, and any record of repayments or the terms you agreed. Start gathering those now. Deadlines in civil litigation are short and procedural defaults are hard to repair, so take the papers to a UAE-licensed lawyer this week rather than waiting for the hearing date to arrive.