Service of Process

Service of process is the official notification of court documents — claims, hearing dates, judgments — to the opposing party. In the UAE it is carried out by court notifiers and, increasingly, by approved electronic means such as text messages, email and calls recorded in the court system; courts may also authorise publication when a party cannot be located. It matters because deadlines run from service: the time to answer a claim, appeal a judgment, or challenge a payment order is counted from the date you were validly notified, and a judgment served while you were unaware can become final if you miss the window. Defective service is also a classic ground for setting proceedings aside. You meet it when the court notifies you of a case against you, and disputes about whether service was valid are a recurring battleground in UAE litigation.