Abu Dhabi court orders man to repay Dh115,000 loan to colleague

Abu Dhabi: An Abu Dhabi court has ordered a man to repay Dh115,000 to a female colleague after ruling that he failed to settle the remaining balance of a loan taken from her while they were both employed at the same workplace.

The Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Cases Court found that the defendant had borrowed Dh245,000 from the claimant and repaid only part of the amount, despite signing a written acknowledgement of debt. 

The court ruled that the remaining Dh115,000 constituted an outstanding liability that had not been lawfully discharged.

According to court records, the woman filed a civil claim seeking repayment of the unpaid amount, along with Dh20,000 in compensation for alleged material and moral damages.

She told the court that the defendant, her colleague at work, had formally acknowledged the debt and repaid Dh130,000, but later avoided settling the balance.

The defendant submitted a written response and supporting documents, which were reviewed by the court during proceedings.

In its reasoning, the court cited provisions of the UAE Law of Evidence in Civil and Commercial Transactions, which stipulate that a judicial acknowledgement is legally binding if made by a competent adult acting of free will. 

The law further provides that such an acknowledgement constitutes conclusive proof against the person who issued it and cannot be retracted.

The court noted that the claimant had presented a copy of the signed acknowledgement of debt, and that the defendant did not dispute its authenticity or provide evidence to disprove the outstanding amount. As a result, the court concluded that the legal conditions for enforcing the debt had been met.

However, the court rejected the claimant’s request for Dh20,000 in compensation, finding that the case file did not contain sufficient evidence to establish material or moral damage, nor to demonstrate the elements of fault, harm and causal connection required to award compensation.

The court ultimately ordered the defendant to pay the remaining Dh115,000, along with court fees and expenses, while dismissing all other claims.