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Move quickly — report to the police and file an urgent application with the UAE family courts now, because the early period matters most in cross-border child cases. Even without a final custody order, both parents hold parental rights, and removing a child from the country without the other parent's consent can ground both a criminal complaint and urgent civil proceedings here. Ask the court for a custody order in your favour: it will not bring the child back by itself, but it becomes important evidence in any proceedings abroad. The harder truth is that the UAE is not a party to the Hague Child Abduction Convention, so there is no automatic return mechanism — what happens next depends largely on the courts of the country where your child now is. That means engaging a family lawyer in that country early, alongside your UAE case, and contacting your embassy or consulate for consular support. Preserve everything: proof the child lived here, school records, travel details, and messages showing you never consented. Speak to a lawyer experienced in cross-border family disputes today — days genuinely matter in these situations.

Yes — you can ask the court handling your divorce for a travel ban preventing the children from leaving the UAE while the case is running. This is a recognised protective measure in family proceedings, and it is treated as urgent: you apply to the personal status court with the children's details and the reasons you fear removal, and once granted, the ban is registered with immigration so the children are flagged at every air, land and sea exit. You can also ask the court to order that the children's passports be deposited with the court or a neutral party rather than remain with your spouse. Move quickly and before saying anything that might prompt a sudden departure, because prevention is far more effective than recovery — once children are taken abroad, getting them back can be slow, expensive and uncertain depending on the destination country. Bring evidence of the threats or hints to relocate: messages, emails, witness statements. The ban does not block ordinary travel forever; the court can lift or vary it later, for example for an agreed holiday. A family lawyer in Dubai can file the urgent application and tailor the protective orders to your situation.