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Abu Dhabi Labour Court Orders Company to Pay AED 316,333 in Unpaid Dues

The Abu Dhabi Labour Court of First Instance ordered an unnamed company to pay AED 316,333 to a former employee in unpaid salary, leave allowance, and end-of-service gratuity. The ruling followed the employer's failure to appear in court or produce proof of payment after being legally notified. The judgment reaffirmed that under UAE labour law, the burden of proving wage payment rests on the employer.

Published Source: Emirates 24|7
Issuing authority
Abu Dhabi Labour Court of First Instance
Jurisdiction
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Publication date
November 10, 2026
Stage
Final rule
Official source
news.google.com
Illustration: An empty modern courtroom in Abu Dhabi with polished wooden judicial bench, gavels, legal documents on tables, warm interior lighting, n
Illustration

The Abu Dhabi Labour Court of First Instance has ordered a company to pay AED 316,333 in outstanding employment entitlements to a former employee, according to a report by Emirates 24|7. The judgment covers unpaid monthly salaries, leave allowance, and end-of-service gratuity following a dispute over unsettled financial rights.

Court records show the plaintiff worked for the company from September 2012 until the end of August 2026 on a total monthly salary of AED 15,500, which included a basic salary of AED 6,000. The former employee claimed unpaid back wages spanning 33 months from December 2023 to August 2026 amounting to AED 232,500, alongside AED 75,164 in end-of-service gratuity and AED 9,000 in leave allowance for the final two years of service.

The court stated that under the UAE Labour Relations Law, employers are legally obligated to pay employee wages on time in accordance with ministry-approved regulations and executive procedures. It noted that the legal burden of proving wage payments rests entirely on the employer.

Despite being legally notified, no representative from the defendant company appeared before the court, and the enterprise failed to submit any records or documentation to refute the claims. Consequently, the court awarded the employee the full claimed sum of AED 316,333.

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