The Civil Court in Dubai has mandated a woman of Arab nationality to repay a loan amounting to AED 67,000, which she borrowed from her employer in multiple installments due to financial difficulties.

The court's decision was supported by evidence, including WhatsApp messages exchanged between the parties, confirming the lender's claims.

According to legal documents, an Arab man filed a lawsuit requesting the court to compel the woman to repay the borrowed funds along with a legal interest rate of 5% from the date the repayment was due, a date determined by the borrower at the time of the loan request.

The plaintiff also requested the appointment of an expert to review the case documents, which included the WhatsApp conversations, bank transfer receipts, and other evidence substantiating the claimed debt.

In his statement, the plaintiff noted that the defendant sought financial assistance from him in late 2021 due to various circumstances primarily related to her financial distress.

He asserted that he provided her with a total of AED 67,000 through various means, including bank transfers and cash payments, after which she failed to repay the amount.

Attached to his claim were copies of the financial transactions and screenshots of WhatsApp messages wherein the defendant acknowledged receipt of the funds and promised to repay them.

The presiding judge appointed an expert to examine the communication between the two parties.

The expert’s report confirmed that the defendant initially received AED 13,000, followed by AED 14,000 and a final sum of AED 40,000 intended for the payment of a due obligation.

The report indicated that the defendant had promised via the exchanges to repay the amounts when she received funds from a relative, referring to the loan as a temporary advance.

The expert ultimately corroborated the total sum received by the defendant as AED 67,000.

In reviewing the case, the court highlighted that Article 710 of the Civil Transactions Law stipulates that a loan entails transferring ownership of an asset or cash to another with the agreement of returning an equivalent amount in kind, type, and characteristics at the end of the loan period.

Additionally, the same law provides that if there is a set timeframe for the loan, the borrower is obliged to return it upon its expiration, even if they have not utilized it.

The court further clarified that it has full authority to ascertain the facts in the case and evaluate the presented evidence, including digital communications which are recognized as admissible proof under the 2022 Evidence Law in civil and commercial transactions and the expert report, which is considered part of the evidence in the case and is subject to the judge's discretion.

Regarding the present case, the court affirmed that it was established that the defendant had requested the total amount of AED 67,000 from the plaintiff and had committed to repay it on various occasions.

Consequently, the court determined that the receipt of the funds constituted the execution of a loan agreement between the parties.

Since the defendant did not provide any proof of repayment of the debt, the ruling necessitated her obligation to settle the outstanding amount.