Dubai Civil Court Orders Man to Repay Dh890,000 After Failed Apartment Deal

Dubai Civil Court has ordered an Asian man to repay Dh890,000 along with five per cent annual interest after finding that he failed to complete an apartment purchase and did not return the money received for the deal.

The case was filed by a man who alleged that he had transferred Dh890,000 to the defendant for the purchase of a residential apartment in Dubai. However, the transaction was never executed and the funds were not refunded.

Court records showed that the defendant acknowledged receiving the money when questioned during police proceedings but claimed it had been returned, citing WhatsApp exchanges as proof. He did not, however, submit the messages or any supporting documents before the court.

In its ruling, the court held that no individual can retain another’s money without a legal basis, as this amounts to unjust enrichment. It noted that the defendant’s admission in the police report carried evidentiary value and, in the absence of proof of repayment, the full amount was recoverable.

The court also reaffirmed that the burden of proving repayment lies with the party claiming it, and unsupported assertions of refund are insufficient to defeat a documented financial claim.