Dubai court orders woman to repay Dh37,760 after deceiving sick friend

Dubai: An Arab woman, already weakened by illness, discovered that a trusted friend had taken advantage of her vulnerability and misappropriated her family’s money in a shocking betrayal, according to Emarat Al Youm.

Court records show that one evening, the patient — identified only as “the sister” — asked her friend to support her during surgery. While in hospital, the friend told her the operation cost Dh36,000, claiming insurance would cover Dh12,000 and that the remaining Dh24,000 had to be paid upfront.

Unable to manage payments herself, the patient asked her brother, who lives abroad, to transfer Dh24,000 to the friend. He sent Dh32,760, intending the extra amount as further help for his sister.

But after recovering, the woman learned from her insurer that the surgery had been fully covered and no payment was due. The friend’s story was false.

When confronted, the friend denied wrongdoing, claiming — without evidence — that she had paid the insurer directly, insisting proof was stored on a “lost” phone.

The siblings filed a civil suit seeking Dh74,270: the Dh32,760 transfer plus Dh41,500 they said had been lent earlier. They submitted insurance confirmations, hospital records and communications as evidence.

A court-appointed financial expert confirmed the Dh32,760 transfer but found no proof of the alleged additional loans.

The defendant failed to appear in court or provide documentation showing the money had been used for medical costs or repaid.

In its judgment, the court ruled that only the brother’s claim was proven. It ordered the friend to repay Dh32,760 plus Dh5,000 in damages for the financial and emotional distress caused by withholding the money for nearly four years.

She was also ordered to cover court fees and legal costs.