Debt recovery in UAE

Navigate the UAE's dual legal framework — DIFC common law courts for international disputes and mainland civil courts — with local expertise in Dubai.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Payment by post-dated cheque. Dated 31 February. We checked. February still has no 31st. A collector who works Gulf hours. In Arabic and English. Paid by transfer. On a date that exists.

Collecting commercial debts in the UAE requires an understanding that this is not one legal system but several, layered on top of each other with the kind of complexity that would make a regulatory architect weep. The mainland UAE courts operate under civil law principles derived from Egyptian and French legal traditions. The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has its own courts operating under common law, with proceedings conducted in English. The Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) has yet another set of courts and regulations.

The good news for international creditors is that the UAE — particularly Dubai — takes commercial obligations seriously. The reputation of Dubai as an international business hub depends on creditors being confident that debts can be collected. The UAE government has invested heavily in modernising its court systems, introducing electronic filing, specialised commercial circuits, and enforcement mechanisms that actually work.