Enforcing a foreign award in the UAE: a practical timeline

Winning an award is half the work. This note sets out each step to enforce a foreign arbitral award in the UAE, and the points where applications are usually delayed.

Filing

Prepare certified Arabic translations of the award and of the arbitration agreement before you file. Most delays we see come from missing documents or translations that do not match the original, not from objections by the other side.

Timeline

Most applications are decided within three to six months, depending on the court and on whether the debtor appears. Plan for a further period to locate assets and execute; an early asset search makes this step much shorter.

Before you start

Check where the debtor holds assets before choosing where to enforce. An award recognised in a place with nothing to collect is an expensive certificate.