Wrongful or Arbitrary Decisions in Dubai.

Challenging Wrongful and Arbitrary Government Decisions in the UAE

Government authorities, licensing bodies, regulatory agencies and public institutions in the UAE are bound by principles of lawfulness, fairness and proportionality in their decisions. When these principles are violated — through arbitrary decisions, procedural unfairness, exceeding authority, or failure to follow the law — affected parties have legal remedies. Al Safar & Partners advises individuals and companies on challenging unlawful administrative decisions across all UAE Emirates and regulatory contexts.

Types of Decisions We Challenge

• License Revocations and Suspensions: Trade licenses, professional licenses, and regulated activity permits revoked or suspended without proper legal basis or due process.
• Regulatory Sanctions: Fines, penalties and enforcement actions by regulators including RERA, SCA, Central Bank, Ministry of Economy, TDRA and others.
• Immigration Decisions: Visa cancellations, entry bans and residency decisions affecting individuals and their families.
• Employment Authority Decisions: Ministry of Human Resources decisions affecting companies' ability to hire and retain staff, work permit refusals and labour bans.
• Customs and Trade Decisions: Goods seizures, customs duty assessments and import/export prohibition decisions.
• Property Authority Decisions: DLD, RERA and municipality decisions affecting property rights and development permits.

Legal Grounds for Challenging Administrative Decisions

Administrative decisions in the UAE can be challenged on several grounds: lack of legal authority (the body had no power to make the decision); procedural error (due process was not followed, including the right to be heard); factual error (the decision was based on incorrect facts); and proportionality (the decision was disproportionate to the stated aim). The burden of establishing these grounds varies, and we advise on the strength of each ground in your specific case before recommending action.

How to Challenge an Administrative Decision

The process depends on the type of decision and the authority that made it. Most regulatory bodies have internal appeal mechanisms that must be exhausted before court proceedings can be commenced. Once internal remedies are exhausted, judicial challenge is available through the administrative circuit of the relevant Emirate's courts, or through the Federal Supreme Court for federal decisions. We advise on which challenge pathway is most effective and manage every stage of the process.

Urgent Interim Relief

When an administrative decision has immediate operational consequences — a business that cannot operate due to a license suspension, a shipment that cannot be released due to a customs hold — interim relief to suspend the decision pending appeal is critical. UAE courts can grant urgent stays of administrative decisions in appropriate circumstances. We apply for such relief as a first step when the situation demands it.