Plain-language UAE legal terms

بلاغ تغيب

An absconding case (bulaq taghayyub) is a formal report filed by a UAE employer or sponsor with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) or the ICP against a worker or dependent who h

سوق أبوظبي العالمي

The Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) is an international financial centre located on Al Maryah Island with an independent common-law jurisdiction established by Federal Law No. 8 of 2004 and Abu Dhabi L

الأبوستيل

An apostille is a simplified, single-step authentication of a public document introduced by the 1961 Hague Convention. In member states, an apostille stamp or certificate replaces the longer consular

الاستئناف

An appeal is a challenge to a judgment of the Court of First Instance brought before the Court of Appeal. Under the UAE Civil Procedure Law, an appeal can be filed against final judgments on the merit

التحكيم

Arbitration is a private, binding dispute-resolution procedure chosen by agreement of the parties, in which one or more arbitrators decide the dispute and issue an award that has the force of a judgme

الحجز

An attachment is a provisional court order that places a debtor's assets — bank accounts, real estate, vehicles, shares, goods — under the court's control so that they cannot be sold or transferred pe

التصديق الإماراتي

Attestation in the UAE refers to the domestic authentication of a document by a UAE government authority — most commonly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC). It is o

نقابة المحامين

The UAE does not currently have a single unified national Bar Association. The practice of law by UAE nationals as advocates is regulated by Federal Law No. 23 of 1991 on the Regulation of the Legal P

الشيك المرتجع

A bounced cheque is a cheque returned unpaid by the drawee bank, typically for insufficient funds, a closed account, a mismatched signature, or a formal defect. Since the 2022 amendment to the Commerc

النقض / التمييز

Cassation is the final stage of review in the UAE court hierarchy, handled by the Court of Cassation in each judicial system (Federal Supreme Court for the federal judiciary, Dubai Court of Cassation

قانون المعاملات المدنية

The UAE Civil Code — formally the Law of Civil Transactions (Federal Law No. 5 of 1985, as amended) — is the foundational statute of UAE private law. It regulates obligations and contracts, property,

المعاملة المدنية

A civil transaction is any legally recognised act between private parties that creates, modifies, transfers, or extinguishes a civil right — in contrast to a commercial transaction, which is governed

قانون الشركات التجارية

The UAE Commercial Companies Law (CCL) — Federal Decree-Law No. 32 of 2021, replacing Federal Law No. 2 of 2015 — is the core statute governing mainland companies. It regulates the formation, governan

التعويض

Compensation is the monetary sum a court awards to a party to make good a harm caused by another's breach of contract or wrongful act. UAE law recognises two core components: actual damages (damnum em

حق المؤلف

Copyright in the UAE is the exclusive right of an author over their original literary, artistic, or scientific work — books, music, software, audiovisual works, databases, architecture, and more. It i

أمر قضائي

A court order is a formal decision by a judge that requires a party to act or refrain from acting. Court orders include procedural directions (setting hearing dates, ordering expert appointments), int

بلاغ جزائي

A criminal complaint is a formal report filed by a victim, witness, or concerned party with the competent UAE police station or Public Prosecution accusing a specific person of a criminal offence. The

الأضرار

Damages, in UAE civil law, refer to the actual harm suffered by a person whose rights have been infringed — the measurable or demonstrable loss that grounds a claim for compensation. Damages are class

الإبعاد

Deportation is the compulsory removal of a non-citizen from the UAE by order of the competent authority. UAE law recognises two types: judicial deportation, imposed by a criminal court as an accessory

مركز دبي المالي العالمي

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is a special economic zone established by Dubai Law No. 9 of 2004 with its own independent legal system based on English common law, its own courts, and

الهوية الإماراتية

The Emirates ID is the national identity card issued by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) to every citizen and resident of the UAE. It stores biometric d

مكافأة نهاية الخدمة

Employment gratuity, or end-of-service benefit, is a lump sum that UAE private-sector employers must pay to employees who complete at least one year of continuous service. Under Federal Decree-Law 33

التنفيذ

Execution is the stage at which a final judgment, an arbitral award, a notarised agreement with executory force, or a recognised foreign title is enforced against the debtor's person or assets. In the

مرسوم بقانون اتحادي

A Federal Decree-Law is a legislative instrument issued by the President of the UAE, with the approval of the Supreme Council, when the Federal National Council is not in session or when urgent matter

النموذج (أ) — إقرار المالك المستفيد

Form A is a declaration filed with the UAE's Ministry of Economy or the relevant economic department under the beneficial ownership regime (Cabinet Decision No. 58 of 2020 and its amendments). It iden

النموذج (F) في DIFC

Form F is a filing used within the DIFC Registrar of Companies regime, most commonly for changes to a DIFC-registered company's particulars — for example notice of the allotment of shares, a change in

رخصة المنطقة الحرة

A Free Zone License is a commercial licence issued by the authority of one of the UAE's 40-plus free zones (DMCC, JAFZA, DIFC, ADGM, RAKEZ and others). The licence authorises an entity to carry out sp

الإقامة الذهبية

The Golden Visa is a long-term UAE residency permit valid for five or ten years, renewable, granted to specified categories: investors, entrepreneurs, qualified professionals (doctors, scientists, eng

الأمر القضائي

An injunction — in UAE practice usually referred to as a summary or precautionary order — is a court order requiring a party to do, refrain from doing, or preserve a state of affairs pending the resol

الحكم

A judgment is the final ruling of a court that resolves the substantive merits of a dispute — whether the claim is accepted in whole or in part, dismissed, or declared inadmissible. UAE judgments are

حظر العمل

A labour ban in the UAE is an administrative or judicial restriction that prevents a worker from taking up new employment in the country for a set period. The most common type is an administrative ban

محكمة العمل

The Labour Court is the specialised judicial chamber that hears employment disputes in the UAE, organised within each emirate's Court of First Instance. Jurisdiction covers unpaid wages, unpaid end-of

التصديق

Legalization is the multi-step process of authenticating a foreign public document so that it has legal effect in the UAE, and vice versa. The UAE is not a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention

التقاضي

Litigation is the process of resolving a dispute through the courts. In the UAE, civil litigation typically begins with the claimant filing a statement of claim with the Court of First Instance throug

الرخصة على البر الرئيسي

A Mainland License authorises a company to operate anywhere in the UAE outside a free zone, directly with consumers, private businesses, and government entities. It is issued by the Department of Econ

الوساطة

Mediation is a non-binding dispute-resolution process in which a neutral third party — the mediator — assists the disputing parties in negotiating a voluntary settlement. Unlike a judge or arbitrator,

وزارة العدل

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is the federal authority responsible for the administration of the federal court system, the regulation of the legal profession, and the delivery of core justice services

التعويض عن الضرر الأدبي

Moral damages are monetary compensation awarded to a claimant for non-financial harm — injury to reputation, dignity, feelings, or family relations — caused by the defendant's wrongful act. Under Arti

شهادة عدم ممانعة

A No Objection Certificate (NOC) is a formal written statement from an authority — typically an employer, sponsor, bank, or government body — confirming that it has no objection to a specific action t

التوثيق

Notarization is the formal authentication of a document or signature by a Notary Public, an officer authorised by the UAE Ministry of Justice or the judicial department of each emirate. A notarised do

الشركة الخارجية

An offshore company in the UAE is an entity incorporated under free-zone rules specifically designed for holding assets and conducting business outside the UAE — not inside it. The main jurisdictions

براءة الاختراع

A patent is an exclusive right granted by the State for a new invention — whether a product or a process — that is novel, involves an inventive step, and is industrially applicable. In the UAE, patent

قانون العقوبات

The UAE Penal Code — currently Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 on the Issuance of the Crimes and Penalties Law, which replaced Federal Law No. 3 of 1987 — is the core federal statute defining crimin

قانون الأحوال الشخصية

Personal Status Law is the body of law that governs marriage, divorce, child custody, guardianship, inheritance, and wills in the UAE. For Muslims, the federal Personal Status Law — most recently Fede

وكالة قانونية

A Power of Attorney (POA) is a written legal instrument by which a principal authorises an agent (the attorney-in-fact) to act on their behalf in specified matters. UAE law recognises general POAs cov

مركز فض المنازعات الإيجارية

The Rental Disputes Settlement Centre (RDSC) in Dubai is the specialised judicial body that adjudicates landlord-tenant disputes — including non-payment of rent, eviction, rent increases outside the R

مؤسسة التنظيم العقاري (ريرا)

RERA is the Real Estate Regulatory Agency of Dubai, the regulatory arm of the Dubai Land Department (DLD). Established by Law No. 16 of 2007, it licenses and supervises developers, brokers, owners' as

العلامة التجارية

A trademark is any sign — a word, logo, three-dimensional mark, colour combination, sound, or even smell — that distinguishes the goods or services of one enterprise from those of others. In the UAE,

حظر السفر

A travel ban in the UAE is an order preventing a named individual from leaving or entering the country. It can be issued civilly — usually by a creditor filing a petition to secure repayment of a debt

إلغاء التأشيرة

Visa cancellation is the formal administrative process by which a UAE residency visa is annulled before or at its natural expiry. It is normally initiated by the sponsor — typically an employer for wo