Electronic transactions: UAE case law

A sale contract e-signed through the Land Department's system binds the buyer and defeats a bare forgery claim

Under Articles 54 to 58 of the Evidence Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 35 of 2022), electronic evidence, including electronic records, signatures and correspondence such as email, has the same effect as written evidence; formal electronic evidence, including…

A trader's computer-generated statements and invoices can prove a commercial debt between traders

Regular commercial books are evidence in commercial disputes between traders (Article 15 of the Evidence Law). A trader who runs his business with modern technology may keep electronic records in place of paper books (Article 38 of the Commercial…

Service by phone or other modern means is valid if identity and ownership of the channel are verified

A claim may be served by modern technological means, or by any method the parties agree, provided the identity of the recipient is confirmed, the channel belongs to the person served and any call is transcribed in a record placed on the file. Special rules…

Limitation must be pleaded and correctly characterised; a void earlier claim does not fix the date interest runs

The plea that a claim is barred by lapse of time is not a matter of public order; it must be raised before the trial court, and its period depends on the correct characterisation of the claim. The five-year bar applies only to periodic, renewable rights,…