Civil Procedure Law · Federal Decree-Law 42 of 2022
Article 33
Part One: Jurisdiction of Courts > Chapter Three: Territorial Jurisdiction of Courts
English translation
1. The court, within the territorial jurisdiction of which the Defendant's domicile is located, shall have the jurisdiction over the case, unless the law provides otherwise. If the Defendant has no domicile in the State, the court, within the territorial jurisdiction of which the Defendant's place of residence or workplace is located, shall have the jurisdiction.
2. The legal proceeding may be filed with the court within the territorial jurisdiction of which the damage occurs, with regard to the claims for compensation due to damage to persons or property.
3. For commercial matters, the jurisdiction shall be vested in the court within the territorial jurisdiction of which the Defendant's domicile is located, the Court within the territorial jurisdiction of which the agreement, in whole or in part, is executed or performed, or the court within the territorial jurisdiction of which the agreement is required to be performed.
4. If there are several Defendants, the jurisdiction shall be vested in the court within the territorial jurisdiction of which the domicile of one Defendant is located.
5. Notwithstanding the cases prescribed in Article [34] and Articles [36] through [41] of this Code, the parties may agree that a specific court have the jurisdiction to hear the dispute. In which case, the court so chosen shall have the jurisdiction.
Official translation, as published by the portal.
Official Arabic text
.1 يكون الاختصاص للمحكمة التي يقع في دائرتها موطن المدعى عليه ما لم ينص القانون على خلاف ذلك، فإن لم يكن للمدعى عليه موطن في الدولة يكون الاختصاص للمحكمة التي يقع بدائرتها محل إقامته أو محل عمله.
.2 يجوز رفع الدعوى إلى المحكمة التي وقع في دائرتها الضرر وذلك في دعاوى التعويض بسبب وقوع ضرر على النفس أو المال.
.3 يكون الاختصاص في المواد التجارية للمحكمة التي يقع بدائرتها موطن المدعى عليه أو للمحكمة التي تم الاتفاق أو نفذ كله أو بعضه في دائرتها أو للمحكمة التي يجب تنفيذ الاتفاق في دائرتها.
.4 إذا تعدد المدعى عليهم كان الاختصاص للمحكمة التي يقع بدائرتها موطن أحدهم.
.5 في غير الأحوال المنصوص عليها في المادة (34) والمواد من (36) إلى (41) من هذا القانون، يجوز الاتفاق على اختصاص محكمة معينة بنظر النزاع وفي هذه الحالة يكون الاختصاص لهذه المحكمة.
What it means when you sign
This article decides which court within the State hears a case, by location. Generally it is the court where the defendant's domicile is. If the defendant has no domicile in the State, it is the court where the defendant's residence or workplace is. A claim for compensation for damage to persons or property may be filed where the damage occurred. For commercial matters, the case may go to the court of the defendant's domicile, the court where the agreement was executed or performed in whole or in part, or the court where it is required to be performed. With several defendants, it may be the court of one defendant's domicile.
The last clause matters most for contracts. Despite the specific cases set out elsewhere in the code, the parties may agree that a particular court will have jurisdiction, and then that court has jurisdiction.
When you are about to sign, a clause that names a specific court is the clause this article refers to. It may therefore be effective, subject to the cases the article excludes. If the contract has no such clause, the other rules in this article decide the court.
In Fahm reports this article usually sits under: Jurisdiction and enforceability
Related articles
- Article 34This article decides which court hears property-related cases, by location.
- Article 5This article sets the language of the courts.
- Article 19Cited in Fahm reportsThis article says when the courts have jurisdiction over a case against a person.
- Article 20Cited in Fahm reportsThis article lists when the courts have jurisdiction over a foreigner who has no place of residence or domicile in the State.
- Article 21Cited in Fahm reportsThis article extends the courts' jurisdiction beyond the main case.
- Article 22This article covers a case where the defendant does not appear and the court has no jurisdiction under the earlier articles on the courts' jurisdiction over persons from abroad.