If my contract is in English and Arabic, which version counts in the UAE?

The language of the courts

Article 5 of the Civil Procedure Law makes Arabic the official language of the courts; non-Arabic-speaking litigants and witnesses are heard through a sworn interpreter. The same article allows the head of the federal or local judiciary to designate English as the language of certain tribunals for specialised matters, in which case pleadings and documents are submitted in English. Outside that designation, an English contract reaches a UAE court through translation.

How a contract is read

Article 119 of the Civil Transactions Law says clear wording is not departed from by interpretation; where there is room to interpret, the common intention of the parties is sought beyond the literal words, guided by the nature of the transaction and the honesty and trust that should prevail according to custom. Article 120 adds the working rules: the contract is governed by the parties' consent and what they committed to; doubt is read in favour of the debtor, but ambiguous terms in a contract of adhesion are not read against the adhering party; intentions and meanings count over words and forms; and no implication prevails over an express statement.

For contracts dated before 1 June 2026 the 1985 Code says the same in Articles 265 and 266.

Precedence clauses

A clause that makes one language prevail is an express statement under Article 120(5), and it is the kind of term that settles a conflict between the texts. Where the prevailing text is one the signer has not seen, or where the two texts set different periods or amounts and no clause chooses between them, the contract is read under Articles 119 and 120, and in a contract of adhesion the ambiguity is not read against the adhering party.

Questions

What language do UAE courts use?

Arabic, under Article 5 of the Civil Procedure Law, with sworn interpreters for others; English may be designated for certain specialised tribunals.

What if the English and Arabic texts of my contract say different things?

The contract is interpreted under Articles 119 and 120 of the Civil Transactions Law: clear wording stands, otherwise the common intention is sought, and an express precedence clause prevails over implication.

Is a clause that the Arabic text prevails valid?

It is an express statement of the kind Article 120 gives effect to; the question for a signer is whether the Arabic text has been read before signing.