Unjust enrichment claims Dubai rules cover money or property held without a lawful reason. The
Civil Transactions Law, in force since 1 June 2026, deals with it in Articles 274 to 279.
Many guides still cite the 1985 Civil Code’s numbers, so check any article reference against the current text.
The Two Situations The Law Covers
The law covers taking property without a lawful reason and receiving what was not due.
| Situation | What The Law Says | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Someone takes or keeps your property without a lawful reason. | They must return it and answer for its benefits and increments. | 274(1) |
| Someone gains money from you without an act that entitles them to it. | They must return it if it still exists. If it does not, they return it for its like or its value, unless the law says otherwise. | 274(2) |
| You paid for something that was not owed. | The recipient must return it if it exists, or its like or value if it does not. | 275(1) |
| You paid for an obligation whose cause never arose or ended after it arose | You can recover it. | 276 |
| You paid before the due date, not knowing there was a term. | You can recover it. | 276 |
| You knew you were paying for what was not due. | No recovery, unless you lacked full capacity or were forced to pay | 275(2) |
| Someone other than the debtor paid, and a creditor in good faith then lost the debt document, its security, or the right to sue the true debtor. | No recovery from that creditor. The payer can claim against the true debtor. | 277 |
What You Can Recover
How much you recover depends on the recipient’s good or bad faith. The article draws a clear line between them.
| Recipient | What Must Be Returned | From When | Article |
|---|---|---|---|
| In good faith | Only what was received. If the recipient refuses to return it, also the gains and benefits it reaped and any it neglected to reap | The day the return action is filed | 278(1) |
| In bad faith | What was received, plus the gains and benefits it reaped and neglected to reap | The day of receipt, or the day it became aware | 278(2) |
| Lacking capacity to contract | Only the extent to which it was enriched | Not stated | 279 |
The text speaks of returning the thing, its like or its value, and the benefits. It does not set an interest rate. Ask for the benefit the recipient actually obtained or failed to obtain, and ask your lawyer how to present it.
Time Limits
Claims that arise from the chapter on beneficial acts, which includes Articles 274 to 279, are not heard after 3 years from the day the creditor learned of his right of recourse. In every case, they are not heard after 15 years from the day the right arose (Article 290).
The Civil Transactions Law applies from 1 June 2026 and does not apply to earlier facts and acts unless it says so (Article 4). Limitation has its own transitional rules. The new provisions apply from 1 June 2026 to every period that has not yet run out, while the old provisions still decide when the earlier part of a period started, was suspended, or was interrupted (Article 6).
If the new period is shorter than the old one, it runs from 1 June 2026 even if the old period began earlier. If what remains of the old period is shorter than the new one, the claim lapses when that remainder ends (Article 7).
So a claim for money received before 1 June 2026 is not automatically governed by Article 290. Which period applies depends on when the right arose and how much of any earlier period had run, so take advice on the dates. Press reports of a Dubai ruling under the 1985 Code say the court treated an unjust enrichment claim as outside the three-year limit for wrongful acts, but that ruling concerned the old Code and should not be relied on for a current claim. For the wider statutory framework, read our guide to the UAE Civil Transactions Law.
Evidence for an Unjust Enrichment Claim in the Dubai Case
A strong claim rests on documents and dates.
- Show that the recipient received the money or property. Bank statements, transfer receipts, and delivery records do this.
- Show that nothing entitled the recipient to it: no contract, no debt, no gift. If a contract or a wrongful act fits the facts better, a different claim may be stronger. Where the dispute concerns an alleged agreement, see our article on whether a verbal contract is legally binding in the UAE.
- Fix the dates: when the recipient received it, when you learned of your right, and when the recipient learned it was not due. They decide the time limit and the good-faith question.
- Put the amount in order: the principal, plus any benefits the recipient reaped or failed to reap.
- Keep every message in which you asked for the return and the replies.
Owed Money Without A Contract?
If you are owed money without a contract, you can send us the transfer records on WhatsApp or through the Contact Us page.
Questions About Unjust Enrichment
Need Help With An Unjust Enrichment Claim?
To discuss an unjust enrichment claim, speak to our lawyers on WhatsApp or use the Contact Us page.
