Joint Liability

Joint (solidary) liability means each of several debtors can be pursued for the whole obligation, not just their share — the creditor picks the easiest target, collects in full, and leaves the paying debtor to claim contribution from the others. Under UAE law solidarity between debtors is not presumed in civil obligations; it arises from agreement or a legal provision — but in commercial matters, debtors of a single commercial debt are generally presumed jointly liable, which is one of the practical reasons classifying a transaction as commercial matters. Everyday examples include partners signing a facility 'jointly and severally', guarantors who waive sequencing defences, multiple tenants on one lease, and contractor-subcontractor chains under specific statutory rules. It matters because a routine signature can silently make you answerable for someone else's entire debt. You meet it in bank facility letters, personal guarantees, lease co-signing and partnership fallouts — usually discovering its force when the demand letter names you for everything.