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Onshore (mainland) arbitration in the UAE is governed by Federal Decree-Law No. 6 of 2018 on Arbitration, the country's standalone arbitration statute. It is closely modelled on the UNCITRAL Model Law, the international template many jurisdictions follow, which makes it familiar to foreign parties and counsel. The law covers the essentials: what makes an arbitration agreement valid, how the tribunal is formed, the conduct of proceedings, the form of the award, and the grounds on which a court may refuse to recognise or may annul an award. It applies to arbitrations seated within the UAE and, in some respects, to the recognition of awards. Note that the UAE's financial free zones, the DIFC in Dubai and ADGM in Abu Dhabi, are separate common-law jurisdictions with their own arbitration laws and courts, so a DIFC- or ADGM-seated arbitration follows those regimes instead. Identifying the correct seat and governing law is a foundational drafting decision. A UAE dispute-resolution lawyer, who you can find among verified professionals on LEXAI, can confirm which framework applies to your specific clause.

Under the UAE Federal Arbitration Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 6 of 2018), an arbitration agreement must generally be in writing to be valid, and it can be a clause within a contract or a separate agreement. A crucial requirement is authority: the person who signs on behalf of a company must have the power to bind it to arbitration, because committing to arbitration is treated as a special act beyond ordinary management. If the signatory lacks that authority, the clause can be challenged. A well-drafted clause typically names the arbitration institution (for example a recognised UAE centre), the seat of arbitration, the language, the number of arbitrators, and the governing law, so there is no ambiguity if a dispute arises. Vague or contradictory wording, sometimes called a pathological clause, can lead to costly jurisdiction fights before the real dispute is even heard. Because a defective clause can derail an entire case, it is worth having it reviewed before signing. You can compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI who draft and audit arbitration clauses.

For most cases, no. Since 2 January 2022, under Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2020 amending the UAE Commercial Transactions Law, bouncing a cheque purely because of insufficient funds is no longer treated as a criminal offence. Instead, a partially or fully unpaid cheque now works as an executory instrument (a writ of execution): the holder can go straight to the execution judge to recover the amount without first proving a crime. Criminal liability is now reserved for bad-faith conduct, such as deliberately ordering the bank to stop payment without a lawful reason, closing or freezing the account before the cheque date to defeat it, or signing in a way designed to make the cheque undischargeable. So the typical "not enough funds" bounce is now a civil enforcement matter, not a jail risk. If you are dealing with a bounced cheque, confirm which category yours falls into and, where useful, compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI for guidance specific to your situation.

DIAC, the Dubai International Arbitration Centre, is Dubai's principal institution for administering arbitrations. After Dubai Decree No. 34 of 2021 reorganised arbitration in the emirate, DIAC became the main consolidated centre, taking over the role previously played by other Dubai bodies. When a contract contains a DIAC clause, a dispute is administered under the DIAC Arbitration Rules: the claimant files a request for arbitration with the centre, the respondent answers, the tribunal is constituted, and the proceedings run under the centre's procedural framework and fee schedule, with the centre providing case administration. The seat is determined by the parties' agreement; absent a choice, the rules supply a default. DIAC handles commercial, construction, and cross-border matters and offers mechanisms such as expedited procedures and emergency relief in appropriate cases. Because institutional rules and the version in force matter, you should check which DIAC Rules apply to your clause. For help running or defending a DIAC arbitration, you can compare verified UAE arbitration professionals on LEXAI.

To start arbitration in Dubai you first confirm you have a valid arbitration agreement covering the dispute, then follow whatever procedure that agreement and any chosen institution require. For an institutional arbitration such as one administered by DIAC, you commence by filing a request for arbitration with the centre that identifies the parties, the contract and arbitration clause, a summary of the dispute, the relief you seek, and your nomination regarding the tribunal, accompanied by the centre's required filing fee. The respondent then files an answer, the tribunal is appointed, and the case proceeds under the applicable rules. For ad hoc arbitration with no institution, the Federal Arbitration Law and your clause govern how proceedings begin, often through a written notice of arbitration. Strict attention to the contract's pre-conditions, such as any agreed negotiation or notice period before arbitration, is important because skipping a required step can create a jurisdiction challenge. Given the procedural detail involved, many parties instruct counsel from the outset. You can compare verified UAE arbitration professionals on LEXAI to guide the filing.

A power of attorney (POA) in the UAE remains valid until one of several events ends it, rather than always lasting a fixed period. It ends when: the principal revokes it; the specific task it was granted for is completed; the principal dies or loses legal capacity; or any expiry date written into the document is reached. Some POAs are open-ended in their wording, while others state a fixed duration. In practice, certain UAE authorities and institutions may treat older POAs with caution and ask for a recent or renewed one before acting, particularly for property or banking transactions, even where the document itself has no stated end date. Because policies on how recent a POA must be can vary between departments and over time, it is best to confirm acceptance with the specific authority before relying on an older POA. If the POA was granted to you as an agent, check that none of the ending events has occurred before you act, since acting on a lapsed authority can expose you. For tailored advice you can compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI.

Arbitration is a private way of resolving a dispute outside the regular courts: instead of a judge, one or more independent arbitrators hear both sides and issue a binding decision called an award. In the UAE it is governed mainly by Federal Decree-Law No. 6 of 2018 on Arbitration, which applies to arbitrations seated onshore in the country. The process usually begins because the parties agreed to it in a written arbitration clause or a later submission agreement. Typically a claimant files a request, the tribunal is appointed, written submissions and evidence are exchanged, a hearing may be held, and the tribunal issues an award that the parties must follow. Arbitration is often chosen for commercial, construction, and cross-border contracts because it is private, the parties can pick arbitrators with relevant expertise, and awards are enforceable internationally. It is not always cheaper or faster than court, so the choice depends on your contract and dispute. To assess whether arbitration suits your situation, you can compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI who handle dispute resolution.

You are not legally required to use a lawyer to arbitrate, but for anything beyond a simple, low-value matter most parties do, because arbitration is procedurally technical and the stakes are usually high. An arbitration lawyer in Dubai helps at every stage: reviewing and drafting the arbitration clause, assessing whether you have jurisdiction to arbitrate, preparing the request for arbitration or the response, nominating suitable arbitrators, and managing disclosure, evidence, and witness or expert preparation. They present your case at the hearing, draft submissions, and argue points of UAE law and the applicable institutional rules, such as the DIAC Rules. They also handle the critical post-award stages: pursuing ratification and enforcement of an award you have won, or raising annulment grounds against an award you have lost, both of which have strict deadlines. Choosing counsel with genuine arbitration experience and familiarity with the relevant seat (onshore, DIFC, or ADGM) matters. To find the right fit, you can compare verified arbitration lawyers in Dubai and across the UAE on LEXAI.

A power of attorney (POA) in the UAE is a formal written authorisation that lets one person (the principal) appoint another (the attorney/agent) to act on their behalf in legal, financial, property, or court matters. It is governed by the UAE Civil Transactions Law and administered through the notary public departments of each emirate (for example, Dubai Courts' Notary Public or the Ministry of Justice in the northern emirates). To be legally effective for serious dealings such as property transfers, court litigation, or company matters, a POA must usually be notarised by a UAE notary public, and the scope of authority is interpreted strictly against the wording in the document. The agent can only do what the POA expressly permits. A POA can be limited to a single task or broader, and it remains valid until it expires, is revoked, or the principal dies or loses legal capacity. Before signing, confirm exactly which powers you are granting and to whom. If your situation involves property, inheritance, or litigation, you can compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI to review the wording.

To notarise a power of attorney (POA) in Dubai, you draft the document, then have it attested by a Notary Public, which in Dubai operates under Dubai Courts (including private notaries licensed for this purpose). The principal generally must appear in person with valid Emirates ID or passport, and the POA is signed before the notary, who verifies identity and capacity before stamping it. POAs in the UAE are typically prepared bilingually in Arabic and English, because the Arabic text governs in official and court use. If the agent or subject matter relates to property, the Dubai Land Department may require a POA in a specific approved form. Once notarised, the POA is registered and can be relied upon by banks, courts, and government bodies. Exact fees and any validity period are set by the relevant notary department and should be confirmed directly, as they can change. If you are unsure which type of POA fits your purpose, you can compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI to help draft and review it before notarisation.